Who conducted the research identifying Sister Mary Bernard as the first nurse anesthetist?

• A. Agatha Hodgins
• B. Mary Bernard
• C. Virginia S. Thatcher
• D. Gertrude Fife

Answer: (C)

Virginia S. Thatcher’s work is about tracing the origins of nurse anesthesia through careful examination of historical records. She analyzed early hospital records, ledgers, and contemporaneous accounts to establish who was practicing anesthesia in nursing roles before the modern profession took shape. Her archival research identified Sister Mary Bernard as the first nurse anesthetist, making her the earliest documented example and setting a historical baseline for the field. This demonstrates how historians use primary sources to verify who first performed a professional function and when it began.

Other names are known for different contributions in nursing history, but Thatcher is the one who conducted the research that identifies Sister Mary Bernard as the first nurse anesthetist.