Loyola Nurses in the 108th

Lt. Col. Sara Abrams, center

The Chief Nurse of the 108th was Captain Sara M. Abrams, ANC, a Chicago native and 1920 graduate of Loyola's affiliated nursing school, the St. Bernard's School of Nursing. Captain Abrams was selected as Chief Nurse by Sister Helen Jarrell, RHSJ, the director of Loyola's School of Nursing. Described by a former corpsman as 'six feet tall with the face and demeanor of a bulldog, but with a heart of gold', Abrams imposed strict discipline on the nurses of the 108th, creating a unified group out of nurses from several hospital schools of nursing with diverse backgrounds and training. She accomplished this by establishing standards and expectations and appealing to the pride of the nurses.

Captain Abrams described some of the problems she encountered and her solution in her 1944 end-of-year report writing that a "...problem has been the amalgamation of the group who had diversified backgrounds, experience, and education. Furthermore, we had at least nine different schools of nursing represented...These problems were solved by instilling pride in belonging to such a group, establishing standards, and simply taking it for granted that the group members would conform."

108th General Hospital nurse and Loyola graduate Cecelia Fennessy remembered Sara Abrams as "...really strict. Sometime we thought we wouldn't survive her. But my friend Mary told me, 'Sometimes I see her at night on her knees praying. And I know she is praying for all of us, and anyone who does that - I know I am staying with her. ' And I do think she was very concerned."

 Reporting to Captain Abrams were her Assistant Chief Nurses:

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