History of the Nursing Program

The Petersburg Training School for Nurses was organized by Miss Lelia Nevins Ions in November 1895. The first nursing class at Petersburg consisted of three students who trained for a period of two years. The Training School was organized to fill a desperate need for nursing service that existed at the Petersburg Home for the Sick; the hospital that served the city in the late 1800’s and later become the Petersburg Hospital.

With the advent of World War II, there was an increased demand for nurses and nursing services, and an increase in the number of students interested in studying nursing. In 1943, the school participated in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corp, an organization of the Public Health Service. During the war, the school took in two classes yearly in an accelerated program in order to produce more nurses for civilian and military service.

The relationship between the hospital and the school continued until 1953 when Petersburg General Hospital opened. In 1954, the school closed and the members of the graduating class then affiliated with the Alexandria School of Nursing in Alexandria, Virginia. For two years, the school remained closed. Through the efforts of Mr. E.H. Titmus, Sr., and other interested citizens of Petersburg, the school was reactivated in 1956.