YSN Dean Emeritus Receives American Cancer Society Humanitarian Award
New Haven, CT — November 20, 2008
The late Florence S. Wald, RN, MN, MS, FAAN, Dean Emeritus of the Yale University School of Nursing, received the American Cancer Society (ACS) Humanitarian Award for her pioneering efforts in hospice care and her outstanding contributions to the nursing practice.
The ACS honored Dean Wald with the Humanitarian Award during the Society's Annual
Meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on November 20th. Florence Wald passed away November 8, 2008, at the age of 91, and was remembered at a funeral service at Battell Chapel of Yale University on November 12.
Dean Wald was awarded for her commitment to providing comfort, dignity, and
high-quality end-of-life care for all patients, making her a driving
force in the hospice movement. She is credited with bringing the
hospice movement to the United States from Europe, and establishing the
first hospice unit in the United States. Her role in reshaping nursing
education to focus on patients and their families has changed the
perception of hospice care in this country.
While serving as
Dean of YSN from 1959 to 1968, she initiated and implemented numerous
reforms in educational programs, guiding the School to a new definition
of nursing as a scholarly clinical discipline.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.
