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The Important History of Nurse
The Important History of Nurse
Many people have not understood about the history of nursing both in the
world and Indonesia, whereas nursing itself has been born since human exist. It
also grew rapidly in the XVIIth and XIXth century marked by the establishment
of British Columbia undergraduate education in Vancouver-Canada to master and
doctor sparked by Florence Nightingale.
The history of nursing in the world began in primitive era until the
emergence of Florence Nightingale as a pioneer of nursing science from England.
Human was created with their mother-instict. In primitive era, they using
their mother instict for self-care. From “Mother Instinc time” shifted to time
where people still believe in something about the existence of a mistic power that
can affect human life. This belief known by Animism. They believe that one's
pain is caused by the power of nature such as rocks, big trees and high mountains.
Then it continued with the belief in the gods where at that time they assumed that
the disease was caused by the anger of the gods, so that the temples were
established as a place of worship and the sick asked for healing at the temple.
After that the development of nursing continues to change with the Deaconess &
Philantrop, which is a group of elderly women and widows who help the pastor in
treating the sick, since it began to develop nursing science.
Indonesians in ancient times thought that the disease was caused by the act
of evil spirits. This belief is so deeply rooted in society, so that when someone is
sick they will go to a healer to get treatment. Treatment is done by using certain
mantras and materials that are not proven efficacy. In terms of nursing, people
whose sakit hanya are treated by women who are based on maternal instinct
(mother instinc). There is no record that men participate in care with a reason
men do not have enough affection to care for the sick. This ancient equivalent,
there is no historical record that mentions significant development in the field of
nursing.
Since then, many Indonesian nursing terms have adopted the Dutch
language. Until now still often we hear the Dutch term, for example
nierbeken (crooked), laken (bed sheet), bovenlaken (cover cloth), warm-water zak
(warm jar), Iiskap (cold pot), scheren (scissors),etc.
Studying the history of nursing will give pride of its own, because it can
remind us of nurses in the past who have worked hard, until finally we can feel
the result as it is today. The history of nursing will open our eyes on how nursing
developments, how challenges are faced and what future nursing will achieve.
Knowing the past and understanding past nursing will provide an opportunity to
use the experience and lessons that can be used in the present and the future.