Nursing

J. Mutinda
 Definition
• The word nursing is derived from a Greek word
“nutricia” which means to nurture or nourish.
• Virginia Henderson in 1966 defined Nursing as
an art of assisting an individual sick or well, in the
performance of those activities contributing to
health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that
he/she would perform unaided if he/she had the
necessary strength, will and knowledge.
 ICN definition of a nurse
• The nurse is a person who has completed
a program of basic, general nursing
education and is authorized by the
appropriate regulatory authority to
practice nursing in his/her country
 Evolution of nursing
• The historical background of nursing may be
divided into four main phases.
 Ancient civilization (From early civilization to the 16 th century)

• Most early civilizations believed that illness

had supernatural causes (The theory of
animism).
• Nursing care was usually provided by mothers
and other female relatives (nurturing) who
cared for the family during sickness by
providing physical care and herbal remedies.
• It used to be done at home except for the
destitute, orphaned and the chronically
incapacitated patients who used to be
admitted in hospitals.
 Religious influences

• Religion has played a significant role in

development of nursing.
• Early religious values such as self denial,
spiritual calling and devotion to duty and hard
work have dominated nursing throughout its
history.
• Care of the sick in battle fields, military
hospitals and prisons was by the religious
bodies.
• During the Middle Ages (AD 500-1500), male
and female religious, military, and secular
orders with the primary purpose of caring for
the sick were formed.
• Examples: the Alexian Brotherhood (organized
in 1431); and the Augustinian sisters, which was
the first purely nursing order.
• In 1633, the Sisters of Charity were founded by
Saint Vincent de Paul in France
 War
• War has brought about the need for nursing.
• During the Crimean war (1854 to 1856) there
was a public outcry when the British people
learnt about the poor care the sick and the
wounded soldiers were receiving.
• Florence Nightingale was conducted to recruit
female nurses to provide care to the sick and
the injured during the war.
• During the American civil war (1861 to
1865) several nurses contributed
remarkably to the war torn country.
• Dorothea Dix was appointed
superintendent of women nurses for all
military hospitals.
 Contemporary nursing Practice

• The emergence of nursing is attributed to

Florence Nightingale who is the most
influential nurse in the history of modern
nursing.
• Florence Nightingale lived between 1820 and
1910
• Received classic education and would visit the
sick in public hospitals.
• During the early 1850s she underwent training in
nursing for 3 months in Kaiser Worth – Germany.
• A year later she used her skills to care for
wounded soldiers during the Crimean war with
assistance of untrained women at Scultari hospital
• Following the Crimean war Florence Published her
first nursing notes in December 1859 and then
established the first training school for nurses in
1860
• In 1916 college of nursing was born and nurse
leaders felt the need for the state to recognize
Nursing.
• The recognition was to involve drawing up of a
syllabus for nurse training and prescribing a
qualifying examination
 Trends in nursing practice
• Nursing practice changes continually in
response to the needs and resources of
the society as a whole.
• It also changes in response to factors
such as definitions of nursing, the aims of
nursing, the educational preparation for
nursing, and expanded practice roles
 Tends in practice cont…
• Nursing Shortage- Nurses form the
majority of workforce in the health
sector in Kenya and many other parts of
the world
• Shortage of nursing staff has been
caused by: Aging, emigration, movement
to other sectors, chronic illnesses and
disabilities.
 Evidence-Based Practice

• Although nurses have conducted and

published research since the 1950s, only
recently has the importance of using scientific
evidence to develop guidelines for nursing
care been recognized.
• EBP blends both the science and the art of
nursing so that the best patient outcomes are
achieved.
 Community-Based Nursing

• Healthcare is increasingly provided in

community-based settings such as clinics,
outpatient settings, and homes.
• Home health care is becoming one of the
largest practice areas for nurses
• The goal is tertiary preventive nursing care,
which focuses on rehabilitation and restoring
health
 Decreased length of hospital stay
• The length of stay in the hospital has
remarkably decreased.
• Nurses employed in hospital settings
must have the knowledge and skills to
provide often-complex care to very ill
patients.
 Aging Population

• The older adult population is expanding

rapidly due to increased life expectancy
and improvement in the quality of life.
• This population trend means that
patients in all healthcare settings
increasingly are older and require
teaching and nursing interventions
designed to meet their needs
 Chronic health conditions
• Chronic health conditions, such as heart disease,
cancer, respiratory disease, and AIDS, are major
health problems in our society.
• As the population ages, the risk of developing
chronic illnesses tend to increase.
• Meeting the healthcare needs of many aged
people especially those who live in poverty,
and /or are homeless is difficult
• Demand for Nurses is therefore increasing.
 Culturally Competent Care and Complementary Therapies

• The importance of culturally competent care

and the use of alternative or complementary
therapies to treat illnesses are recognized as
crucial to providing holistic, individualized
care.
• Nurses must become more culturally aware as
our society becomes increasingly global.
 
 Independent Nursing Practice

• Advanced practice nurses, are increasingly

establishing independent practices in which
they diagnose and treat illnesses, promote
health, provide maternal child health services
• Depending on state certification
requirements, they may also practice in
collaboration with a physician.
 Increased specialization
• Nurses have specialized in different areas
• Specialization provides the nurse with high
level of knowledge and competence in a
specific area of care.
 Furthering Online education
• Many nurses are getting advanced degrees in
online programs
• For nurses seeking higher levels of education
without a university nearby online education
makes it accessible for them to earn their
advanced degrees.”