Interview with Melodie Chenovert!

Meet Donor & Collector: Melodie Chenevert | Author, Curator, Director of Pro-Nurse Growing up in Iowa, Melodie Chenevert graduated high school in 1959, excelling in math and science at a time when many young women were guided toward careers in teaching or nursing. She chose nursing—and built a remarkable career that would later expand into writing, education, and advocacy. Though she always loved writing, Melodie initially set it aside to focus on nursing. Years later, that passion returned, leading her to earn an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She went on to author several influential works, including STAT (Special Techniques and Assertiveness Training for Women in the Health Professions), Pro-Nurse Handbook, and Mosby’s Tour Guide to Nursing School, along with a children’s book, What Do Nurses Do? Her work as an author led to a national speaking career, delivering keynotes and workshops in 49 states and internationally in England, Australia, and Japan. In 1981, Melodie founded Pro-Nurse, an organization dedicated to supporting nurses both emotionally and professionally. Her office—filled with nursing memorabilia, posters, and artifacts—became the seed of what would grow into The Lost Art of Nursing collection. She later opened a nursing museum in her home in Cannon Beach, Oregon, welcoming visitors for over a decade before donating the collection in 2023 to the International Museum of Surgical Science.