Philippine Nursing History

Philippine Nursing History

• Nursing is a diverse and respected profession.
• Nursing caters to the sick, injured, disabled, dying, and well patients.
• A nurse also serves as a teacher for communities, families, and individuals.

Early Beliefs, Practices, and Early Care of the Sick

• Pre-colonial Filipinos believed diseases are caused by enemies or evil spirits.
• "Mangkukulam" were believed to bewitch people, causing unidentified diseases.
• Difficult childbirths were attributed to "nuno".
• Early Filipinos believed in special gods of healing such as priest-physicians, word doctors, and herb doctors ("herbolarios").

Spanish Regime

• Religious orders built hospitals in different parts of the Philippines.

Early Hospitals Established

• Hospital Real de Manila was founded in 1577 by Gov. Francisco De Sande, mainly for Spanish soldiers but also admitted Spanish civilians.
• San Lazaro Hospital opened in 1578.
  • It was founded by Brother Juan Clemente, and was administered by the Hospitaliers of San Juan de Dios, exclusively for leprosy patients.
• Hospital de Indio, founded in 1586 by the Franciscan Order, supported by alms from charitable persons.
• Hospital de Aguas Santas, founded in 1590 by Brother J. Bautista of the Franciscan Order in Laguna near a medicinal spring.
• San Juan de Dios Hospital founded in 1596 by the Brotherhood of Misericordia, administered by the Hospitaliers of San Juan de Dios.
  • It was supported by alms and provided general health service.

Healthcare During Spanish Regime

• "Babaylan" (priest physician) and "albularyo" (herb doctor) cared for sick individuals.
• Male nurses were acknowledged by Spanish friars as "practicante/Enfermo" in 1578.

Prominent Persons During Revolution

• Josephine Bracken, wife of Jose Rizal, installed a field hospital in Tejeros and provided nursing care to the wounded.
• Rosa Sevilla de Alvero converted their house into quarters for Filipino soldiers during the Philippine-American War in 1899.
• Dona Hilaria de Aguinaldo, wife of Emilio Aguinaldo, organized the Filipino Red Cross, inspired by Apolinario Mabini.
• Dona Maria Agoncillo de Aguinaldo, Emilio Aguinaldo's second wife, provided nursing care to Filipino soldiers and became president of the Filipino Red Cross branch in Batangas.
• Melchora Aquino (Tandang Sora) nursed wounded Filipino soldiers, providing shelter and food.
• Captain Salome, a revolutionary leader in Nueva Ecija, cared for the wounded when not in combat.
• Agueda Kahabagan, a revolutionary leader in Laguna, provided nursing services to her troops.
• Trinidad Tecson, known as "Ina ng Biac na Bato," stayed in the Biac na Bato hospital to care for wounded soldiers.

Hospital and Nursing Schools (1901-1911)

• Formal training in hospital schools of nursing began when American missionary doctors and nurses realized their manpower was insufficient.
• This led to the training of Filipino nurses to cater to hospitals established by Americans in the 20th century.

Iloilo Mission Hospital School of Nursing (1906)

• The first hospital in the Philippines to train Filipino nurses in 1906.
• Established by the Baptist Missionaries.
• Ms. Rose Nicolet of New England Hospital in Boston, was the 1st superintendent.
• Ms. Flora Ernst took charge of the school in 1942.

St. Paul's Hospital School of Nursing (1907)

• Established by the Archbishop of Manila, Jeremiah Harty, under the supervision of Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres.
• General hospital services were provided.
• The training school for nurses opened in 1908.
• Mother Melanie was the superintendent and Miss Chambers was the principal.

Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing (1907)

• Classes in Nursing opened with the support of Governor Gen. Forbes and the Director of Health.
• Anastasia Giron-Tupas was the first Filipino to occupy the Chief Nurse position and Superintendent in the Philippines.
• Admission to nursing classes was based on an entrance examination.
• Applicants must have completed elementary education to the seventh grade.

St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing (1907)

• An Episcopalian Institution, beginning as a small dispensary in 1903.
• It opened in 1907 with 3 Filipino girls admitted.
• Those 3 girls had their first year in combined classes with the PGH School of Nursing and St. Paul's Hospital School of Nursing.
• Mrs. Vitaliana Beltran was the first Filipino superintendent of nurses.

Mary Johnston Hospital and School of Nursing (1907)

• Started as a small dispensary in Cervantes (now Avenida).
• Called Bethany Dispensary, it was founded by the Methodist Mission.

Philippine Christian Mission Institute School of Nursing

• The United Christian Missionary Society of Indianapolis, Indiana, a Protestant organization of the disciples of Christ, operated three nursing schools.
  • Sallie Long Read Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Laoag, Ilocos Norte (1903).
  • Mary Chiles Hospital School of Nursing in Manila (1911).
  • Frank Dunn Memorial Hospital in Vigan, Ilocos Sur (1912).

Nursing Practice (1911-1921)

• Promulgation of Act No. 2493, which amended Medical Law (Act No. 310), allowed regulation of nursing practice.
• The First True Nursing Law, Act 2808, was enacted in 1919, creating the Board Examiners for Nursing.
• The first nursing board examination was given in 1920.
• The first executive officer of the Board Examiners for Nurses was a physician.

Mary Chiles Hospital School of Nursing (1911)

• Established by Dr. W.N. Lemon in a small house on Azcarraga, Sampaloc, Manila.
• In 1913, Miss Mary Chiles of Independence, Montana, donated a large sum of money to buy the present building at Gastambide.
• The Tuason Annex was donated by Miss Esperanza Tuazon.

Frank Dunn Memorial Hospital (1912)

• Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

San Juan de Dios Hospital School of Nursing (1913)

• Through Dr. Benito Valdez's initiative in 1913, the board of inspectors and the hospital's executive board passed a resolution to open a school of nursing.
• The Daughters of Charity have run the school.
• Sister Taciana Tinanes was the first Directress of the School.

Emmanuel Hospital School of Nursing (1913)

• The American Baptist Foreign Mission Society sent Dr. PH Lerrigo to Capiz to open a hospital.
• Miss Rose Nicolet assisted him.
• The school offered a 3-year training course for an annual fee of Php 100.00.
• Miss Clara Pedroso was the first principal.

Southern Islands Hospital School of Nursing (1918)

• The hospital was established in 1911 under the Bureau of Health.
• It opened in 1918 with Anastacia Giron-Tupas as the organizer.
• Miss Visitacion Perez was the first principal.

Other Schools of Nursing

• Zamboanga General Hospital School of Nursing (1921)
• Chinese General Hospital School of Nursing (1921)
• Baguio General Hospital School of Nursing (1923)
• Manila Sanitarium Hospital and School of Nursing (1930)
• St. Paul School of Nursing in Iloilo City (1946)
• North General Hospital and School of Nursing (1946)
• Siliman University School of Nursing (1947)

First Colleges of Nursing in the Philippines

• University of Sto. Tomas College of Nursing (1946)
  • In 1947, the Bureau of Private Schools permitted UST to grant the title Graduate Nurse to the 21 students who were of advanced standing from 1948 to the present.
  • The college has offered excellent education leading to a baccalaureate degree.
  • Sor Taciana Trinanes was its first directress.
• Manila Central University College of Nursing (1948)
  • The MCU Hospital first offered BSN and Doctor of Medicine degrees in 1947 and served as the clinical field for practice.
  • Miss Consuelo Gimeno was its first principal.
• University of the Philippines Manila-College of Nursing (1948)
  • In April 1948, the University Council approved the curriculum, and the Board of Regents recognized the profession as having an equal standing as Medicine, Engineering etc.
  • Miss Julita Sotejo was its first Dean.

Prominent Nursing Leaders in the Philippines

• Cesaria Tan: First Filipino nurse with a Master's Degree in Nursing in the U.S.
• Socoro Siliran: Reformed social service for indigenous patients at San Lazaro.
• Magdalena Valenzuela: First Filipino Industrial Nurse.
• Annie Sand: Founded the National League of Philippine Government Nurses.
• Cornel Elvegia Mendoza: First female Military Nurse.
• Loreto Tupaz: Known as the Dean of Philippine Nursing Education.
• Socorro Diaz: First editor of "The Message," the first journal of PNA.
• Conchita Ruiz: First editor of "The Filipino Nurses," the second journal of PNA.
• Dr. Julita Sotejo: Considered the "Florence Nightingale of the Philippines," author of the Code of Ethics for Nurses (1982), and chairman of the committee which created the first Philippine Nursing Law as Republic Act No. 877 S. 1953.
• Anastacia Giron-Tupas: First Filipino Nurse with the title Nursing Superintendent Chief Nurse at the PGH and founder of the Filipino Nurses Association (FNA).
• Rosario Montemayor Delgado: First President of FNA and graduate of PPGH School of Nursing in 1912.

Timeline

• 1909: 3 females graduated as "Qualified Medical-Surgical Nurses."
• 1919: 1st Nurses Law (Act #2808) regulating nursing practice and providing for nursing exams on the 2nd Monday of June and December.
• 1920: First board examination for nurses, with 93 candidates, 68 passed and Anna Dahlgren receiving the highest rating of 93.5%.
• Theoretical examinations were held at the UP Amphitheater.
• Practical examinations were held at the PGH Library.
• 1921: Philippine Nurses Association Building
• Filipino Nurses Association established (now PNA) as the National Organization of Filipino Nurses.
• PNA: 1st President – Rosario Delgado.

Founding of the Filipino Nursing Association

• Formerly known as Filipino Nurses Association (FNA) and now called the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA).
• Founded on September 2, 1922, in a meeting of 150 nurses presided over by Anastacia Giron Tupas.
• The meeting was held in the nurses' dormitory of the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing.
• Rosario Montenegro Delgado was elected as the first president.
• Alice Fitzgerald was elected as the honorary advisor.
• Lillian Weiser, chief nurse and superintendent of St. Lukes Hospital, was also elected as honorary advisor.
• The Filipino nurses organization was incorporated in 1924.
• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) accepted the Filipino Nurses Association (FNA) as one of the member organizations during the ICN Congress.
  • Congress was conducted on July 8 – 13, 1929, at Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• Filipino Nurses Association (FNA) became the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) in 1966.
• Awarded Most Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization by the Professional Regulation Commission in 2003.
• On October 17, 1958, President Carlos P. Garcia proclaimed the last week of October as Nurses' Week.
• Under Proclamation No. 1060, President Fidel V. Ramos declared "Nurses Diamond Jubilee Year" in 1997.
• PNA's purpose is to promote professional growth towards attaining highest nursing standards.
• The New Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, Republic Act No. 9173 was passed to uplift nursing standards.
• Dr. Elmer D. Bondocis the National President of PNA.