Mona Grey facts for kids

Mona Elizabeth Clara Grey OBE FRCN (born September 24, 1910 – died May 27, 2009) was an important British nurse. In 1960, she became Northern Ireland's first ever Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). This was a very high position in nursing.

Mona Grey's Early Life and Career

Mona Grey was born in Rawalpindi, which was then part of British India (now Pakistan). Her parents were missionaries, which means they traveled to share their religious beliefs. When Mona was six, her mother passed away.

Mona and her older sister, Trixie, went to Oakgrove boarding school near the Himalayas. Later, they attended the Church of England Missionary School in Bombay. Sadly, her sister Trixie died there from tuberculosis.

Mona first trained to be a teacher at St. Bede's College, Shimla. She did very well and graduated with special honours. She stayed in India to teach at Lawerence College in Murree Hills.

In the 1930s, Mona moved to London, England, hoping to find a teaching job. But in 1933, she started working at Royal London Hospital, which was called London Hospital back then. It was there that she decided to become a nurse instead. While at London Hospital, she also trained to be a midwife, helping mothers and babies during childbirth.

Leading Nursing in Northern Ireland

Mona Grey played a big part in improving healthcare in Northern Ireland. In 1960, she was chosen as the Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland. She was the very first person to hold this important job. She stayed in this role until she retired in 1975.

She helped create a special research position for nursing at the University of Ulster. This helped nurses study and improve their work. In 1999, the university gave her an honorary doctorate, which is a special award for her achievements. Mona Grey passed away in Holywood, County Down, on May 27, 2009, when she was 98 years old.

Her Work with the Royal College of Nursing

In 1946, the Royal College of Nursing asked Mona Grey to set up a branch in Northern Ireland. The Royal College of Nursing is an important organization for nurses.

To get an office for the college, Mona worked hard to raise money. In the 1950s, she wrote plays and pageants for fundraising shows. She even convinced the Governor of Northern Ireland, Baron Wakehurst, to let them hold a charity event at Hillsborough Castle.

Mona Grey was the first paid secretary of the RCN in Northern Ireland. She led the college before she became the Chief Nursing Officer. In 1952, she received the OBE award, which is a special honour from the British monarch. In 1996, she was named an Honorary Vice-president of the RCN, and in 2004, she became a Fellow of the RCN.

Awards and Special Honours

Mona Grey received several awards and honours for her dedication to nursing:

• RCN Northern Ireland Lifetime Achievement Award (2002): This award recognized her long and important career.
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1952): A special award from the Queen.

Things named after Mona Grey:

• The Mona Grey Endowment Fund (Queen's University Belfast)
• The Mona Grey Prize (Manchester University)
• The Mona Grey Scholarship (London South Bank University)