History of Nursing

Prepared by: azhin Osman

Supervisor: Dr. Barzan
The nursing profession is among the largest labor pools in the world. Nursing
profession advocates and the demand for more capable healthcare staff in
the medical field during wartime were catalysts for the trade’s evolution. In the
1800’s, nursing began as a job performing domestic duties in the medical
environment. Many hospitals trained nurses directly during the profession’s
early days – a task now fulfilled by academic institutions. Today, formalized
licensing and training ensure a medical environment that vastly improves
patient outcomes compared to institutionalized healthcare’s infancy.

The Nursing Profession

Nurses specialize in caring for patients who are ill, injured or disabled. In
addition to caregiving, nurses also educate patients on health-related topics.
Today’s nurse is an active participant in planning healthcare studies and
health facility policies. The professionals also work to create the best possible
outcomes for their patients. Advanced nurses may work with a doctor or
independently to serve patients’ healthcare needs. These specialists may act
as primary healthcare providers for some patients or entire communities.
They may also supervise nursing staff at given institutions.

The nursing labor pool employs the largest and most diverse talent group
among all professions. As of 2016, the Unites States employs almost three
million nursing professionals. The trade is among the most honored
professions in the world. Historically, women dominate the field; however,
more men are increasingly choosing the nursing career track. Within the
nursing talent pool, minorities represent considerable numbers compared to
other healthcare related professions. As the nursing career landscape
evolves, the trade’s biggest challenge is finding enough candidates to handle
the growing healthcare caseload.
Nursing Through the Ages

Up until the late 1800’s, nurses performed little healthcare related work.
During these early days, hospitals relegated nursing staff members to
performing domestic duties. Hospital nurses completed chores such as
washing dishes, sweeping floors and cleaning dining areas. Serving meals,
feeding patients and removing meal trays were also common nursing tasks.

It was not until the American Civil War outbreak that the nursing role evolved
into a profession that encompassed patient treatment. During the war, there
were so many injuries and casualties that the medical profession had no
choice but to relegate more healthcare related responsibilities to the solely
domestically trained nursing staff. Despite this need, nursing advocates had
to rally for this responsibility.

Elsewhere, war forged nursing role evolution in Britain as well. Florence

Nightingale helped bring battlefield medical practices up to then modern
standards during the Crimean War. The conflict represented a proving ground
for Nightingale’s hypothesis that scientific medical practices could improve
healthcare conditions for patients. By her government’s invitation, Nightingale
led the first military medical unit into the battlefield. The practices that
Nightingale established are guidelines that the modern nursing
practice follows to this day.
The Nursing Profession Matures

In the United States, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee, along with other nursing
profession advocates, pushed to form the United States Army Nurse Corps
(ANC). They succeeded in bolstering legislation that made the ANC a
permanent unit in the United States Army. A year later, the New York Nurses
Association met in Rochester, NY to lay the groundwork for the first nurse
practices act. Group leaders ignited the movement to require nursing
professionals to earn a medical degree to practice healthcare. The group
succeeded, and in 1903 North Carolina was the first state to require nurses to
graduate from nursing school and register with a state nursing board. New
York, Virginia and New Jersey legislatures quickly followed suit, and by 1921
all 48 United States required nurses to earn standardized training and
licensure.

Nurse Training Formalizes

Initially, nurses earned their degrees directly from healthcare institutions. The
establishments trained nurses in exchange for a guarantee that the nurses
remain at the training facility for a designated time frame. This practice did
serve to increase the nursing pool; however, direct training from medical
facilities created an issue; internal politics heavily influenced the provided
training. As the world moved into the 20th century, nurse training shifted from
hospitals to accredited colleges. This transition helped to standardize nurse
training and improve the patient care framework. Nurses are healthcare
professionals that provide direct patient care. Nursing supporters and wartime
conflicts have helped the practice to evolve into a skilled profession. Today,
nurses must earn specialized training and certification. Additionally,
educational institutions have taken over the training role once satisfied by
healthcare establishments. This focused and formalized training has helped to
improve healthcare for all patients and cement the nursing profession as a
time-honored practice.
References:

 https://www.britannica.com/science/nursing
 https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-
introduction-to-the-past/