In memoriam: Ruth M. Farrisey, RN

Ruth M. Farrisey, RN, (left) longtime MGHer and beloved and respected nursing pioneer, died Sept. 24 at a long-term care facility in Framingham. She was 90 years old.

Farrisey was a 1938 graduate of the MGH School of Nursing, a 1950 graduate of Simmons College and a 1953 graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health. She began her 34-year career at the MGH in 1950 as a public health liaison. Eventually, she became the executive officer of the MGH and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Out-Patient Departments. In 1975, she was named associate director of Nursing in Ambulatory Care, a post she held until retiring in 1984.

Widely considered a nursing legend, Farrisey helped establish the nurse practitioner movement at the MGH — the second in the country. In 1961, Farrisey helped
reorganize the nursing practice in the MGH Out-Patient Department so that nurses could provide comprehensive care to patients with chronic diseases. This was among the first nurse practitioner clinics within an outpatient practice, initiating a trend toward collaborative team care and an independent role for nurses in the ambulatory care setting.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend," says Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care and chief nurse. "Miss Farrisey was a true visionary thinker throughout her long career at the MGH. We credit her with helping to shape the modern nursing profession as we know it in many wonderful ways. Miss Farrisey was also instrumental in launching the MGH health care clinics long before community-based health care was the norm. The nurse practitioners who trained at the MGH significantly contributed to the start and ongoing success of these satellite health centers."

Contributions in Farissey's memory can be sent to the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Department of Nursing, Charlestown Navy Yard, 36 First Ave., Boston, MA 02129. A memorial service will be held at the MGH Chapel Oct. 17 at 2 pm.