Unit IV Part A: Historical Perspectives in Nursing

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Unit IV Part AHistorical Perspectives in Nursing

• Julie E. Davis BSN, RN

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Why History?

• Examining history establishes pride knowledge
  regarding your new profession
• To appreciate where nursing is today, we must
  know where we came from
• The healthcare system is in chaos today...drastic
  changes are on the horizon

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Definitions

• RN-registered nurse or professional nurse
• LPN-licensed practical nurse (used in most
  states)
• LVN-licensed vocational nurse (used mostly just
  in California Texas)

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Nature of Nursing Practice

• When major shifts occur in healthcare...the role
  of the nurse changes too
• History is in the making
• Many opportunities exist for you today because
  someone before you had the vision paid the
  price for nursing to evolve into the profession
  that it is today

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The Beginning of Nursing

• Nursing is as old as humanity
• At one time illness was thought to be caused by
  evil spirits
• Primitive healthcare was only delivered by men,
  usually priests medicine men
• Since then the medical model has dominated
  healthcare

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Ancient Era Contributors

• An ancient Babylonian king wrote a code of laws
  designed to protect individuals who were ill
• Laws were written to protect the public from
  unsafe practitioners
• This is still seen today with medical boards and
  state boards of nursing, as well as with Nurse
  Practice Acts

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Ancient Era Contributors

• Hippocrates referred to as the Father of
  Medicine
• Hippocrates contributions
• Written record of healthcare practices that were
  used at the time
• Removed mythical aspects of healthcare replaced
  them with scientific concepts

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Dark Ages Christianity

• The Dark Ages was a time when learning stagnated
• Nursing car of people was only provided by family
  friends
• Once the Dark Ages were over, women were admitted
  to school to study nursing midwifery
• With the growth of Christianity, convents were
  established
• Deaconesses were allowed to administer healthcare
  to the sick the poor

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Renaissance Period

• Nursing progess halted
• Opposition to the Catholic Church
• Womens roles declined as did the nursing
  profession
• Monasteries convents were closed

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Era of Industrialization

• New health problems child labor, industrial
  accidents, poor working conditions health
  problems (i.e. bubonic plague)
• Women started to deliver babies in hospitals
  there was a high mother-baby mortality rate

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Healthcare in the U.S.

• In the early years of the U.S., physicians were
  poorly trained
• Nursing was only done by a limited number of
  religious orders, nuns a few other untrained
  people
• The first hospital was in Philadelphia
• Wards were dirty patients suffered from pain,
  infection gangrene
• Nursing was NOT an admirable profession the
  nursing role was often done by criminals

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Beginning of Modern Nursing

• Nineteenth early 20th century
• Healthcare conditions were poor
• Nursing not yet a profession but was now done by
  priests nuns who emigrated from Europe with
  knowledge, skills a willingness to serve
• Religious orders have a higher level of nursing
  care than others
• Society openly disapproved of upper class women
  doing manual labor
• It was considered a disgrace to send a family
  member to the hospital

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Nursing Education

• First school of nursing was in Kaiserworth,
  Germany 1836
• Female students received 2-3 yr training
• Once training was complete, these women were sent
  to the Kaiserworth deaconesses were then sent
  around the world to train other women to be
  nurses
• Most of the training focused on sanitation
• Florence Nightingale received her training here
• She marks the beginning of modern nursing

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Florence Nightingale

• Was an educated, wealthy woman her family (
  society) strongly disapproved of her desire to be
  a nurse
• She attended Kaiserworth in 1851
• Her first position was superintendent of a small
  hospital in London she worked without pay
• During the Crimean War, she saw the opportunity
  to show what nursing could do for wounded
  soldiers
• She saved thousands of lives with the help of her
  38 recruited women

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Florence Nightingale

• Her work during the war changed the face of
  nursing forever
• She established a home nursing service in London
  in 1862
• She used her knowledge influence to establish
  formal nursing education
• The first 3 hospital schools of nursing in the
  U.S. followed Nightingales traditions
• She died in 1910 she gave her fortune 60 years
  of her life to the establishment of nursing as a
  profession

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Current Trends

• Lethal viruses-in recent years weve been faced
  with new lethal illnesses for which we have no
  cure
• Terrorism-including bioterrorism, is something
  that we are dealing with in increased frequencies
• Nursing shortage-comes goes we see it with
  staffing problems, mandatory overtime constant
  calls for additional shiftwork

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Questions for Reflection

• What will your contribution be to the nursing
  profession?
• Will you better your profession, or will you
  hinder its respect as a profession its future
  growth?
• Remember...your reputation as a nurse will both
  precede you will be left behind once you move
  on!

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References

• Anderson, M. (2005). Nursing leadership,
  management, and professional practice for the
  LPN/LVN In nursing school and beyond. (3rd Ed.).
  Philadelphia FA Davis. (Chapter 1).