Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
The evolution of the nursing profession has led nurses from households to hospitals, schools and outpatient clinics. As one of the oldest occupations, nurses have faced and inspired an array of changes. The most remarkable not only raised the profession but patient outcomes and the overall state of health care. Read on to examine how nursing has changed over the years and why graduate nursing programs like Texas Woman’s University’s online FNP programs are key to further progress. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
What Are the Origins of the Nursing Profession?
Nursing emerged as a profession in the mid-19th century. Historians credit Florence Nightingale, a well-educated woman from Britain, as the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale challenged social norms – and her wealthy parents – by becoming a nurse.
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At the time, the public objected to the idea of women nursing strangers. But Nightingale saw nursing as an extraordinary opportunity for females. She believed they could use their education and scientific knowledge to improve patient care while gaining personal independence.
In 1854, during the Crimean War, the British government requested Nightingale’s aid at a military hospital in Turkey. Within weeks of her small team arriving, the mortality rate of British soldiers fell dramatically. Nightingale’s accomplishments impressed the public and ultimately helped convince the Western world of the dignity and value of educated nurses. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
Modern nursing was founded by Florence Nightingale, who challenged social norms and justified the value of educated nurses.
The evolution of the nursing profession accelerated a decade later during the American Civil War. As fighting erupted in the North and South, women, mostly the mistresses or wives of soldiers, began following the armies. They primarily tended to sick troops. Pneumonia, typhoid, diarrhea/dysentery and malaria were the most common illnesses.
One notable nursing volunteer was Mary Ann Bickerdyke. Though she was not married to a soldier, she accompanied the army of Union Gen. William T. Sherman. After the 1863 Battle of Lookout Mountain in Tennessee, Bickerdyke cared for 2,000 troops on her own. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
Illness ravaged soldiers during the Civil War. To care for the many thousands affected, the North and South established temporary hospitals. There, women like Capt. Sally Tompkins and Phoebe Levy Pember, who served for the South, supervised small teams of nurses that provided treatment.
Collectively, the volunteer nurses, often female slaves, helped save a substantial number of lives. As a result, respect for nursing grew markedly among Americans. With newfound public support and indisputable contributions to health care, the nursing profession would develop quickly.
During the Civil War, women who volunteered to care for wounded soldiers made a significant impact, shaping public perception of nursing. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
How Has Nursing Changed Over the Years?
Training
One prominent change in the evolution of the nursing profession is formalized education. The first training programs opened at hospitals in the late-19th century. Student nurses received clinical instruction in exchange for providing care to patients. During this period of training, nurses helped hospitals make tremendous improvements in safety and quality, and humanized medical care.
By the second half of the 20th century, patient needs became more complex and hospitals required skilled nurses to manage them. The hospital-based education model thus declined in favor of training programs at colleges and universities.
By 1960, over 170 college nursing programs dotted the country. Texas Woman’s University opened the state’s first nationally accredited nursing program in 1950, making it one of the oldest in Texas. Today, 871 schools in the U.S. offer nursing education programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels.
Texas Woman’s University opened the state’s first nationally accredited nursing program in 1950, making it one of the oldest in Texas. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
Nurse training continues to evolve with patient needs, and the emphasis on comprehensive education has never been greater. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) made a definitive recommendation. To manage increasingly complicated patient conditions, at least 80% of registered nurses should hold a bachelor’s degree by 2020. IOM also called for doubling the number of doctorate-prepared nurses.
This standard is also set by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), indicating that all registered nurses should hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in nursing. Colleges and universities have acknowledged these calls by increasing the capacity of four-year nursing programs. Since 2010, enrollment has risen by 80% in registered nurse to baccalaureate degree programs.
There is also a greater emphasis on academic progression. AACN is urging nurses to continue their education beyond entry-level and into graduate and postgraduate programs. By doing so, nurses can fill the nation’s demand for advanced practice registered nurses. Impact Of 19th Century Nurses
