History of Nursing and Public Health Nursing

Nursing Before Florence Nightingale

• Nursing was considered a low job in the social hierarchy
• It was a job for the uneducated and poor
• Women of lowest social standing, including wayward women of low status, poor unmarried women with no family or no chance of getting married, were considered nurses

Florence Nightingale

• Known as the "Lady with the Lamp"
• Published "Notes on Nursing" in 1859, which described nursing as "what it is and what it is not"
• Established the first professional nursing school, the Nightingale Training School, at St. Thomas' Hospital in 1860
• Developed the Environmental Theory, which emphasizes maintaining a safe and clean environment to promote well-being

Transformation of Nursing into a Profession

• Nightingale described nursing as a science and an art
• Science: a body of scientific knowledge using empirics
• Art: proper way of doing things and applying knowledge, e.g. interaction between a health consumer and the nurse
• Led to the development of nursing schools, regulating agencies, professional organizations, and continuing education

Milestones in Nursing

• Establishment of nursing schools worldwide
• Existence of regulating bodies for nurses
• Development of professional organizations from local to international levels
• Continuing education and training for nurses
• Publication of nursing research and theories
• Community involvement and service
• Development of new nursing knowledge and application of evidence-based practice

Is Nursing a Profession?

• Yes, a noble profession
• Characteristics of a profession:
  • Education and training
  • Regulation
  • Professional organization
  • Continuing education
  • Community involvement
  • Development of new knowledge and application of evidence-based practice

History of Nursing and Public Health

• Ancient civilization: nursing was as old as time, based on instinct, human nature, nurturing, and caring
• Egyptian rites, health and healing beliefs, superstition and black magic
• Biblical records: Jesus healing the wounded and the inflicted, Good Samaritan Law
• Christian organizations and orders: Crusades, Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, Monastic Order of St. Augustine, Sisters of Charity, Order of the Deaconesses
• Kaiserwerth Institute for Deaconesses: established the first training school for nurses

Test your knowledge on the history of nursing, from ancient civilizations to the role of public health nursing. Explore the origins of nursing practices, beliefs, and the impact of historical events and figures on healthcare.