Margaret MacDonald (nurse)

Major Margaret Clothilde MacDonald, (26 February 1873 – 7 September 1948) was a Canadian military nurse. She is well known for being one of the first women to hold a position in the completely male-dominated military of her time. She is also known for her breakthrough role as a military nurse during the First World War. During this time, she was given the title of Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Army Medical Corps Nursing Service. MacDonald was the first woman promoted to the rank of major in the British Empire and was awarded the Royal Red Cross (1916) and the Florence Nightingale Medal (1918).

MacDonald was born in Bailey Brook, Nova Scotia, on 26 February 1873. She was born into a wealthy, Catholic family. Her father was Donald St. Daniel MacDonald and her mother was Mary Elizabeth Chisholm. MacDonald was the third of eleven children and was presented with a plethora of opportunities due to her family's wealth. She had the opportunity to receive an education from an early age, which was atypical for girls of that time. MacDonald grew to appreciate education from this upbringing and continued her educational journey with her sisters at Mount St. Vincent Academy, a convent school where she was taught by the Sisters of Charity. Around this time, MacDonald became interested in nursing and, against her parents' wishes, went on to study nursing at Charity Hospital Training School in New York.

After her graduation in 1895, MacDonald went to Panama to assist as a nurse during the construction of the Panama Canal. After this, she began her first nursing job as a military nurse, where she was one of the first women to play a role in the war. Her first job was aboard the military ship, Relief, during the Spanish-American War in 1898, where she took care of American soldiers, both the wounded and the sick. MacDonald also served as a nurse during the Second Boer War in 1900, where she was one of the first women to receive a military commission. After this, MacDonald returned Canada and was soon named the head of the Nursing Service of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. She then moved to Britain to learn from their military nursing program, which was well known at the time. At this point, MacDonald focused more on leadership and working to make a change for women. Also during this time, MacDonald was the first woman promoted to the rank of major in the British Empire for her leadership during the First World War.

In 1920, after many years of nursing, MacDonald retired, returning to her hometown of Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia. She died in Nova Scotia on 7 September 1948, at the age of 75.

Early life
Margaret MacDonald was born on 26 February 1873, in Bailey's Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, the day before her mother, Mary Elizabeth Chisholm's, 24th birthday. Margaret was Mary Elizabeth Chisholm and Donald St. Daniel MacDonald's third child. Between 1868 and 1879, Mary Elizabeth gave birth to eleven children, nine of which survived into adulthood; six girls and three boys.

MacDonald was born into a relatively wealthy Catholic family. Both of her parents descended from the Scottish highlands and her great-grandparents made their way from Scotland to Nova Scotia in the late 1700s. MacDonald's mother was a housewife and her father owned a general store in town. This store was the only source of farm products and imported goods from Montreal, the United States, and Great Britain, in the area. This store, paired with Donald's aptitude with finances, was a great source of income for the MacDonald family and accounted for their rather wealthy status for the time period. Their families financial wealth provided Margaret and her siblings with many opportunities.

Education
The relatively wealthy status of MacDonald's family provided her with many opportunities that were uncommon for women of her time. For instance, MacDonald had the opportunity to receive a good education from a young age, including reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and grammar, which was atypical for girls of that time. MacDonald's mother placed great importance on education during her upbringing and played a big role in MacDonald and her siblings' learning. This upbringing caused MacDonald to greatly value education.

After her primary education at Stella Maris Convent School in Pictou, MacDonald went on to follow her older sisters to Mount St. Vincent Academy in 1890, a convent school where she was taught by the Sisters of Charity. Here, she gained an interest in nursing. In order to pursue this interest, MacDonald continued her educational journey at Charity Hospital Training School in New York, where she was trained as a nurse. She graduated from Charity Hospital Training School in 1895.

Career
MacDonald's first nursing job was in Panama. She did this for 18 months during the construction of the Panama Canal. She cared for those involved in the construction effort and the surrounding area. Panama was a location in which malaria was very prevalent and, in 1896, MacDonald contracted the disease. She was promptly treated and recovered, but she decided to move on from Panama.

MacDonald's first job affiliated with the military was aboard the military ship, Relief, during the Spanish–American War in 1898. Here, she cared for American soldiers that were either sick or wounded in the war. Soon after, MacDonald also served as a nurse during the South African War in 1900, where she was one of the first women to receive a military commission.

After her involvement with the South African War, MacDonald returned to Canada, where she was soon named the head nurse of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. As head nurse, MacDonald was in charge of the admission process and sought to keep a high reputation for the corps and did not allow nurses to get involved unless they had proper, professional training, which was not very common in a time where most women did not receive a formal education. There were many volunteer nurses seeking involvement that were not formally trained, however, MacDonald would not allow these nurses to join the nursing corps in attempts of maintaining the integrity and reputation of the rapidly advancing military nursing profession. MacDonald became known as a leader in the realm of military nursing. She was known for going against gender expectations of the time and working to make a place for women in the male-dominated military. The First World War marked a big change in MacDonald's military career. She had moved to Britain to develop leadership skills from their military nursing program. She wanted to make a change for the women and challenge the gender roles of the time. She made a step toward her goal in 1914, when she was named matron in chief of a group of military nurses that, during the war, would accumulate to over 3000 nurses. MacDonald was the first woman to be given the title of Matron-in-Chief in the British Empire. During the war, MacDonald was responsible for planning every move of her cadre of nurses. She had to ensure their safe and secure transportation, living conditions, and health.

MacDonald returned to Canada in 1919. Here she aided in reorganizing the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, and retired in 1920. She then returned to her home town of Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia, where she died on 7 September 1948, at the age of 75.

Awards

 * Royal Red Cross (1916)
 * Florence Nightingale Medal (1918)
 * Honorary DDL from Saint Francis Xavier University (1983)