stewardess-nurses

Airlines once had “stewardess-nurses.” So did trains.

The first ‘stewardesses’ on airplanes also had to be registered nurses.

In 1930, Boeing Air Transport Office – which later became United Airlines – was only hiring male pilots. But Ellen Church, a registered nurse with a pilot’s license, wanted to fly.

So she convinced the airline to test out having nurses on board to help passengers feel more confident about flying.

The job description had plenty of requirements. And lots of restrictions.

In addition to being a registered nurse, those early ‘stewardesses’ could weigh no more than 115 pounds, and they could not be taller than 5 feet, 4 inches. They had to be single and they had to be under 25 years of age.

As for the job description, these early stewardess nurses had to care for and reassure sick and frightened passengers.

The stewardess-nurses had to take tickets, load and unload luggage and help fuel the plane. They also had to pass out lunches, clean the aircraft, and tighten the bolts that held the seats to the floor.

Trains had ‘stewardess nurses’ too

Stewardess nurses weren’t limited to planes.

According to a story from the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia, not long after airlines began hiring nurses, train lines did too.

Union Pacific hired seven nurses in 1935 to staff the Challenger, a deluxe coach train, and by 1938 at least 94 nurses working on four railroads.