Question

How has nursing practice evolved over time? Discuss key leaders and historical events that have influenced the advancement of nursing,nursing education, and nursing roles that are now part of the contemporary nursing profession.

Answer 1

In the pre-historic period health practices were strongly guided by beliefs of magic,religion and superstition.In the middle ages women used herbs and new methods of healing.Wives of emperors and other women considered noble became nurses.During the crusades,military nursiong orders,known as Templars and Hospitalers were founded.During the Renaissaance and Reformation period major advancements were made in pharmacology ,chemistry and medical knowledge.Nursing education was non existent.Religious facilities that provided health care closed.Hospital work was no longer appealing to women of high economic status.The outbreak of the Crimean war marked a turning point in Nightingales career.In 1860 she established the first nursing school in England,St.Thomas Hospital of London.Mary Seacole learned of the crimean war and requested to join Nightingales group,but was denied the right to join because she was black.She sailed to Crimea and purchased her own supplies at her own expense and nursed the sick soldiers.In 1900 to World War 1 states began to require nurses to become reegistered before entering into the practice.Wald chaired a committee which later became known as The American Nurses Association.The Frontier Nursing Services was established in 1925 by Mary Breckenridge of Kentucky.In 1940 -1945 Nurses were finally recognized as an integral part of the military.They attained the ranks of officers in the army and navy.Colonel Julie .O.Flikke was the first army nurse to be promoted to colonel in the US army and served as Superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps.Post World War 2 The Nurse training Act of 1943 for federal funding being used to support nurse training.In 1960 Federal legislation enacted during the 1960 had a major and lasting effect on nursing and health care.In 1970 Masters level preparation was developed as the requirement for graduation and practice.There was increase in the number of men.In 1980 a serious national shortage of nurses occured across all settings.In 1985 ,the National Center for Nuring Research at the National Institutes of health brouht with it an increase in federal resources for nursing reserch and research training.In 1990 creative shifts came common in health care fdacilities.Health care workers were mandated to use preventive measures in the form of Universal Precautions.The focus of managed care was on providing more preventative and primary care.In the 20th century nurses weree faced with many challenges such as health care acess and cost and quality ,safety and acccountability aging population ,serious nursing shortage,and high acquity and short staffing.

2 Dorothea Dix.During the civil war period was appointed by secretary of war to organize military hospitals and provide medical supplies to the Union Army soldiers.

Harriet Tubman-She cared for the sick as a nurse in the Sea Islands off the coat of South Carolina.She was later known as the conductor of the underground railroad

Sojourner Truth-She was an advocate of clean and sanitary conditions for patients .Insisted that these conditions were needed for patients to heal.

Susie King Taylor was originally hired to work in laundry but served as a nurse due to the growing number of wounded who needed care.

Clara Barton served on the front line during the civil war,operated a war relief program to provide supplies to the battlefields and hospitals and credited with founding the American RedCross.

Louisa May Alcott served as a nurse for 6 weeks until stopped by ill health