Nursing Stories: Mary Eliza Mahoney. November 05, 2013 In this series, we will tell nursing stories of influential practitioners who made a difference in the field of nursing. Born in 1845, Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first black nurse in the United States to complete her professional degree. She worked several years in a hospital before enrolling in the program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, and she was one of only four graduates out of the 42 students who started the program at the same time.