Published: December 12, 2025
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Once a nurse, always a nurse.
For Gay Wilson, it’s a calling that has lasted a lifetime.
Gay grew up in Southern Indiana and went to New Albany High School knowing she wanted to be a nurse. She was a member of the school’s future nurses club, so she knew what her next step would be.
The Norton Memorial Infirmary School of Nursing opened Jan. 1, 1886, as the first nursing school in Kentucky. Over 90 years, the nursing school prepared more than 1,500 students as registered nurses, including Gay.
After graduating from New Albany High School, Gay and a few of her friends applied to the nursing school across the river in Louisville, Kentucky.
“I was thrilled when I received my letter from Norton saying I was accepted,” Gay said. “It changed my life. I loved being a nurse, and I felt like this was so important in my life.”
Gay said she started with 67 other students in 1962, the largest class the school had ever accepted. But at 18 years old, she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“Our main concern was flunking out,” Gay said. “We were so afraid that we would not make the grades.”
According to Gay, most of her classmates came from Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The school was known for its rigorous coursework and outstanding faculty, with the expectation that the students would become the best nurses around.
“They were very strict on the students,” Gay said. “We lived in the dorm; we signed in and we signed out and you knew you better be at class on time.”
But along with the disciplined approach, the students were cared for by the staff.
“They were good to the students, and we felt safe,” Gay said. “We had a house mother who would roam the floors in the dorm checking on everybody making sure people were in.”
Most of their classes were hosted at Norton Memorial Infirmary facilities or the University of Louisville. The toughest courses: anatomy and physiology.
After six months of classes beginning the 36-month program, the students worked as nurse aides on the floors on weekends.
“As we progressed through the program, we had more responsibility on the floor,” Gay said. “We had supervisors if we needed help with anything. For the most part, the students were a really great asset to the hospital, because we put in a lot of hours.”
The students rotated through surgery, psychiatry, OB/GYN and pediatric care, according to Gay. The program demanded long hours, little time off and diligent studying, but through it all, the camaraderie kept the students going.
“Everybody supported everybody else,” Gay said. “We would get together and talk — the group became very tight.”
After Gay graduated, she went to Floyd County Hospital in New Albany and worked in surgery for four years. She then moved to Decatur, Illinois, after she married.
She went to anesthesia school in 1974 and moved to Jackson, Tennessee. She spent almost 35 years at The Jackson Clinic in West Tennessee.
Gay’s development at the Norton Memorial Infirmary School of Nursing started her career on the right path, something it did for so many others over nearly a century.
“We’ve made a huge difference,” Gay said. “I know we have made a huge impact. I was so sad when I heard the nursing program was going to be stopped. We worked hard, but we felt like we did make a difference.”
While Norton Memorial Infirmary School of Nursing closed in 1976 as degree-granting institutions became more prominent, Norton Healthcare still provides nurses with educational advancement opportunities.
The Norton Memorial Infirmary Alumnae Nursing Scholarship will provide financial support and resources to Norton Healthcare certified nursing assistants or licensed practical nurses to obtain their registered nurse license, or to advance a prelicensure associate degree in nursing to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Gay generously donated to the Norton Memorial Infirmary Alumnae Nursing Scholarship to give nurses the opportunity to take the next step in their careers. She shared advice for nurses hoping for an opportunity to elevate their care:
“Dedicate your life to the program,” Gay said. “Study. Don’t be distracted by other things. If you’re going to do this, if you’re going to improve your life, just fully dedicate yourself to doing it.”
Gay enjoyed her decades-long career in health care, which all started at Norton Memorial Infirmary School of Nursing. Her calling continues to this day.
“I like to think I made a little difference,” Gay said. “You don’t quit being a nurse. I live in a gated area; we have 52 homes, and we have three nurses. We’re always nursing somebody here. People call me for everything.”
To donate to the Norton Memorial Infirmary Alumnae Nursing Scholarship, use this link.