how nursing started 2024-2025
how nursing started 2024-2025
The profession of nursing has been around for a long time, but it has changed a lot over time. Nurses are one of the most trusted healthcare professionals in the current system, and they play a significant role in the treatment and medical care of the sick.
The Latin word nutire, which means to suckle, is the origin of the term nurse. This is due to the fact that it initially referred primarily to a wet-nurse and only developed into a person who cares for the sick at the end of the 16th century.
Early history
- Around 300 AD, the earliest written references to nursing as a profession are found. Since the Roman Empire wanted to build a hospital in every town it controlled during this time, there was a lot of demand for nurses to help doctors with their patients.
- In the middle ages, the Catholic church’s demand for medical care led to an increase in the number of nurses working in Europe. Numerous advancements and innovations occurred during this time that eventually became the foundation of modern nursing as it exists today.
- Merida, Spain, was the location of the first Spanish hospital, which was built in the late 500s to the early 600s to treat patients of any race or religion. In the centuries that followed, a number of others were established, but their upkeep was neglected until Emperor Charlemagne began restoring them and bringing the equipment and supplies up to date in the 800s.
- The nursing profession grew during the 10th and 11th centuries as European laws changed. Nurses began providing a variety of medical care services beyond traditional healthcare as hospitals began to be included in monasteries and other religious settings. This all-encompassing model gained popularity and continues to guide the diverse responsibilities of nurses today.
- Nursing as a profession was uncommon at the beginning of the 17th century for a variety of reasons, including the closing of monasteries that housed hospitals. However, hospitals and nurses’ roles were preserved in some European regions where the Catholic church remained in power.
Modern nursing
- Florence Nightingale was a nurse who took care of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War in the 1850s. She also made a big impact on how the nursing profession changed in the 19th century.
- Due to the necessity of their presence on the front lines of war, where poor hygiene frequently resulted in fatal infections in the wounds, the role of nurses continued to expand during this time. In the hospital where wounded soldiers were treated, Nightingale advocated for improved hygiene standards, which significantly reduced the number of infections-related deaths.
- The establishment of the first nursing school in London in 1860 further advanced the field of nursing. This marked the beginning of numerous additional schools for new nurses to ensure that they received the necessary education and training prior to beginning practice in the field.
- However, many nurses were required to begin providing care without adequate training as the need for nurses increased during the twentieth century’s two world wars. Education facilities for nurses have continued to grow ever since.
- Further education in particular areas of nursing care, such as pediatrics or oncology, has also contributed to the profession’s diversification into a variety of specializations.
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