Interview with Gertrude Morgan, July 27, 2002

Interview Summary

Gertrude Morgan was a nurse with the Frontier Nursing Service. In this interview she discusses how she learned of the FNS and why she decided to attend their Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. After graduating she began to work for the FNS and served at the Pine Mountain Clinic, as well as on the Red Bird district. Throughout the interview she talks about the rapport between the nurses and their patients, and the importance of building trust; the economic circumstances and living conditions of the people served by the FNS, and how the FNS has tried to improve them; she tells several personal stories of memorable cases and patients during her many years with the FNS; she discusses the difficulty of reaching patients due to the mountains and rural roads; and discusses how the area has changed over time with regard to the role of women, as well as the influence of government programs like Welfare and WIC, among other changes.

Interview Keyword

Food habits--Appalachian Region, Southern Maternal health services. Pine Mountain Clinic Red Bird Clinic Rural roads

Interview LC Subject

Appalachian Region--Economic conditions Appalachian Region--Social conditions Appalachian Region--Social life and customs Childbirth Country life Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Leslie County (Ky.) Medical care--Appalachian Region Medical education Midwifery--Appalachian Region Nurses Rural conditions Rural health services

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.