Joyce Nichols (born Clayton, June 28, 1940 - July 29, 2012) was an American physician assistant (PA). Nichols was the first woman and black woman to be certified as a PA, graduating from the Duke University Medical Center program in 1970.
Joyce Nichols (born Clayton, June 28, 1940 - July 29, 2012) was an American physician assistant (PA). Nichols was the first woman and black woman to be certified as a PA, graduating from the Duke University Medical Center program in 1970.
Nichols was born as Joyce Clayton on June 28, 1940, in Roxboro, North Carolina. [1] [2] Nichols was married at age 16, though with encouragement from her parents, she finished high school and went onto to beauty school. [2] Later, she attended Carolina College (later North Carolina Central University) where she made it half-way to a degree in psychology before her finances ran out. [2] In 1965, she received a scholarship to study as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and after graduation in 1966, she started working in the cardiac care unit at Duke Hospital. [2] In the hospital, she learned about the physician's assistant (PA) class at the Duke University Medical Center [2] from a former Navy corpsman who worked with her in her cardiac unit. [3]
The PA Program had been made up strictly of men, especially those with former experience as Navy corpsmen, was reluctant to enroll Nichols. [4] [2] However, she was encouraged to apply by Doctor Eugene Stead, the creator of the PA training program. [1] Nichols was accepted and fought to be given the same stipend as the men in the program. [1] During her training, she still worked in the cardiac unit to support her family. [1] She and her family also lost their house due to a fire in 1969 and the faculty and students at the PA school helped to raise money to help Nichols' family. [4] They put on a dance, sold tickets and raised enough funds to replace her household items and buy clothing and Christmas presents for the kids that year. [3] Right before her graduation she met with Doctor Eugene Stead to talk about her employment and she was exploring the possibility of working for a couple of local African-American physicians who had been her preceptors in the program. [3] Nichols graduated from the program in 1970, becoming the first woman to earn a degree as a PA. [4]
When she graduated, she was able to get funds with the help of Doctor E. Harvey Estes Jr., to open a rural, satellite health clinic. [1] She worked in Rougemont and Bahama for two years, providing preventative healthcare to individuals who had not had easy access to medicine in the past. [1] In 1972, she moved to the Lincoln Community Health Center and continued to provide healthcare to rural communities. [1] Nichols continued here until her retirement in 1995. [1] At the time of her retirement she was managing the Diabetes and Hypertension Clinics and providing primary care services to the homeless shelter in Durham. [5] After retirement, Nichols stayed involved in her community in various capacities, including raising money for healthcare and volunteering in political campaigns. [1]
She was inducted into the Duke University PA Alumni Hall of fame in 2002 for her concerns for poor people and her advocacy skills. [3]
Nichols died in her home in Durham, North Carolina on July 29, 2012. [4] At her funeral, three of her close professional colleagues, John Davis, PA-C, Earl Echard, PA-C and Lovest Alexander, PA-C, paid tribute to her legacy as a pioneering physician assistant. [3]
In July 2020, the PA Foundation announced the launch of the Joyce Nichols Memorial Scholarship, a new scholarship to be award to Black PA students. Based upon the funding that was committed at the time of the announcement, a minimum of four $1,000 were to be awarded in 2020 and the next five years following. [5]
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