PERIODS OF NURSING HISTORY

▣ Intuitive Period

▣ Apprentice Period

▣ Educative Period

▣ Contemporary Period
 INTUITIVE PERIOD
▣ Prehistoric 🡪 Early Christian Era
▣ Nursing is given by the WOMEN
▣ Performed out of feeling of compassion for others
▣ Performed out of desire to help
▣ Performed out of wish to do good
▣ More on intuition

▣ NOMADS – travel from one place to another

◼ Survival of the fittest
◼ “Best for the most” – motto
▣ Sickness is due to “voodoo”
 INTUITIVE PERIOD

▣ SHAMAN – uses white magic to counteract the black magic

◼ They are the doctors during those time.

▣ TREPHINING – drilling the skull

◼ Used to treat Psychotic patients
◼ Psychotic patients are believed to be possessed by evil spirits.

▣ Growth of religion – most important thing that happened

▣ Growth of civilization
▣ Law of self preservation – inspire man in search of knowledge
 RISE IN CIVILIZATION
▣ From the mode of Nomadic life 🡪 agrarian society 🡪 gradual
development of urban community life

▣ Existence of means of communication

▣ Start of scientific knowledge 🡪 more complex life 🡪 increase in health

problems 🡪 demand for more nurses

▣ Nursing as a duty of SLAVES and WIVES. NURSING DID NOT CHANGE

but there was progress in the practice of Medicine.

▣ Care of the sick was still closely allied with superstitions, religion and
magic
 RISE IN CIVILIZATION
▣ Near East – birth place of 3 religious ideologist:
◼ Judaism
◼ Christianity
◼ Mohammedanism or Islam

- Near East culture was adopted by the Greeks and Romans combined with
the wonders of the Far East by returning crusaders and explorers
improved and was carried to Europe during the Renaissance Period that
resulted to greater knowledge then to the New World by the Early
settlers.
 RISE IN CIVILIZATION
▣ New World – a tiny area known as birth of monotheism that lies
between Tigris and Euphrates River in the Nile River arose the cultures
of Babylonia, Egypt and Hebrew.

◼ MONOTHEISM – believer of one God

 BABYLONIA
▣ CODE OF HAMMURABI
◼ 1st recording on the medical practice
◼ Established the medical fees
◼ Discouraged experimentation
◼ Specific doctor for each disease
◼ Right of patient to choose treatment between the use of charms, medicine, or
surgical procedure
 EGYPTIANS

▣ ART OF EMBALMING
◼ Mummification
◼ Removing the internal organs of the dead body
◼ Instillation of herbs and salt to the dead
◼ Used to enhance their knowledge of the human
anatomy. Since work was done and performed on the
dead

▣ “THE 250 DISEASES”

◼ Documentation about 250 diseases and treatments
 HEBREW
▣ Teachings of MOSES
◼ Created Leviticus
◼ Father of sanitation
▣ Practice the values of “Hospitality to strangers” and the “Act of
Charity” – contained in the book of Genesis
▣ LEVITICUS – 3rd book of the Old Testament
◼ Laws controlling the spread of communicable diseases
◼ Laws governing cleanliness
◼ Laws on preparation of food
◼ Purification of man and his food
◼ The ritual of CIRCUMCISION – on the 8th day after birth
▣ MOSAIC LAW
◼ Meant to keep Hebrews pure so that they may enter the sanctuary without affronting God
◼ Meant as a survival for health and hygienic reason only
 CHINA
▣ “MATERIA MEDICA”
◼ Book that indicates the pharmacologic drug used for treatment

▣ Use of wax to preserve the body of the dead

▣ Method of paper making

▣ FACTOR THAT HAMPERED THE ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICINE:

◼ Prohibits dissecting of human body thus thwarting scientific study
 INDIA
▣ elaborate municipal drainage system existed, evidence that these early
Indians had an understanding of the importance of sanitation

Hinduism (ancient priests preserved the teachings of Hinduism in two

collections of sacred books numbering approximately 100 namely:

❖ Vedas- man is pictured as agree from disease at birth

▣ VEDA OF LONGEVITY, hygiene and prevention of sickness is stressed and
small pox inoculations, materia medica, psychiatry, medical, surgical and
pediatric practice are mentioned
❖ Upanishads - Hindus practiced a theme concept which included the
physician, the nurse, and the patients

▣ duties, qualifications, and the attributes of the team members are

identified in the Charaka-samhita

▣ records indicate that instrument such as the tissue forceps, scissors,

and catheters were used for surgical procedures, including plastic
surgery

▣ drugs and diet were prescribed in addition to intervention

▣ diseases believed to be incurable

❖ Buddhism- Gautama who was later known as BUDDHA was born
in India

▣ Gautama founded many religious communities which later become a source of

help to King Asoka, who at that time founded buildings which today can be
compared to hotels, and hospitals, and nurses, always male functioned like
the practical nurse today
▣ prevention of disease was of prime importance and hygiene procedures were
considered a religious duty
▣ priest-physician was the medical practitioner, and therefore, religious
ceremony and prayer were a prelude to treatment
 INDIA
▣ SUSHURUTO
◼ 1st recording on the nursing practice
▣ Hampered by Taboos due to social structures and practices of animal
worship
▣ Medicine men built hospitals
▣ Intuitive form of asepsis
▣ There was proficient practice of Medicine and Surgery
▣ NURSES QUALIFICATIONS: Lay Brothers, Priest Nurses, combination of
Pharmacist, Masseurs, cooks
▣ There was also decline in Medical practice due to fall of Buddhism – state
religion of India
 GREECE
▣ AESCULAPUS
◼ Father of medicine in Greek mythology
▣ HIPPOCRATES
◼ Father of modern /scientific medicine
◼ 1st to reject the idea that diseases are caused by evil spirits
◼ 1st to apply assessment
◼ Practice medical ethics
▣ CADUCEUS
◼ Insignia of medicine
◼ Composed of staff of travelers intertwined with 2 serpent (the symbol of Aesculapus
and his healing power). At the apex of the staff are two wings of Hermes (Mercury) for
speed.
▣ NURSES 🡪 function of untrained slaves
 ROMANS
▣ Proper turnover for the sick people
▣ “If you’re strong, you’re healthy” – motto
▣ Transition from Pagan to Christianity

▣ FABIOLA
◼ Was converted to Christian and later she converted her home to a hospital
and used her wealth for the sick.

▣ 1st hospital in the Christian world

- treated citizens rejected from society due to their "loathsome
diseases".
 APPRENTICE PERIOD
▣ 11th century 🡪 1836
▣ On-the-job training period
▣ Refers to a beginner (on-the-job training). It means care performed
by people who are directed by more experienced nurses
▣ Starts from the founding of Religious Orders in the 6th century
through the Crusades in the 11th century (1836 – when the
deaconesses School of Nursing was established in Kaiserswerth,
Germany by Pastor THEODORE FLEIDNER)
 APPRENTICE PERIOD

▣ There was a struggle for religious, political, and economic power

▣ Crusades took place in order to gain religious, political, and economic

power or for adventure
MILITARY RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND THEIR
WORKS
▣ KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM
(ITALIAN)
◼ Also called as “Knights of the Hospitallers”
◼ Established to give care

▣ TEUTONIC KNIGHTS (GERMAN)

◼ Took subsequent wars in the Holy Land
◼ Cared for the injured and established hospitals in
the military camps

▣ KNIGHTS OF ST.LAZARUS
◼ Care for those who suffered Leprosy, syphilis, and
chronic skin diseases
▣ ALEXIAN BROTHERS
◼ A monasteric order founded in 1348. They established the Alexian Brothers School
of Nursing, the largest School under religious auspices exclusively in US and it closed
down in 1969

▣ ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

◼ He organized the charity group called the “La Charite” and the “Community of
Sisters of Charity” composed of women dedicated in caring for the sick, the poor,
orphaned, and the widowed. He founded the “Sisters of Charity School of Nursing”
in Paris, France where Florence Nightingale had her 2nd formal education in Nursing.

▣ LOUISE de GRAS
◼ Was the 1st Superior and co-founder of the Community of Sisters of Charity
 NURSING SAINTS
▣ ST. CLAIRE OF ASSISI
◼ Took vows of poverty, obedience to service and chastity
◼ Founded the 2nd order of St. Francis of Assisi
“the poor Claire”

▣ ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY

◼ The patroness of Nursing
◼ A princess
◼ Sees her calling to give care for the sick
◼ Fed thousands of hungry people

▣ St. CATHERINE OF SIENA

◼ “Little Saint” – took care of the sick as early as 7y/o
◼ “1st Lady with a Lamp”
 RISE OF RELIGIOUS NURSING ORDER
▣ Orders of St. Francis of Assisi
◼ 1st order – founded by St. Francis
◼ 2nd order “the poor Claire” – founded by St. Claire
◼ 3rd “the tertiary order”
- Beguines
- Oblates
- Benedictines
- Ursulites
- Augustinians
 DARK PERIOD OF NURSING 17th-19th century
▣ Also called the Period of Reformation until the American Civil War

▣ Hospitals were closed

▣ Nursing were the works of the least desirable people (criminals,

prostitutes, drunkards, slaves, and opportunists)

▣ Nurses were uneducated, filthy, harsh, ill-fed, overworked

▣ Mass exodus for nurses

 DARK PERIOD OF NURSING
▣ THEODORE FLIEDNER
◼ (a pastor) reconstituted the Deaconesses and later he established the School
of Nursing at Kaiserswerth, Germany where Florence Nightingale had her 1st
formal training for 3 months as nurse

▣ FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
◼ Practiced her profession during the Crimean War
◼ “Lady with a Lamp”
◼ From a well-known family
◼ Went to Germany to study
 EDUCATIVE PERIOD
▣ Florence Nightingale era
▣ Began in June 15, 1860 when Florence Nightingale School of Nursing opened at St. Thomas Hospital in
London England, where 1st program for formal education of Nurses began and contributed growth of
Nursing in the U.S.
◼ FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING EDUCATION:
Social forces
Trends resulting from war
Emancipation of women
Increased educational opportunities

▣ FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
◼ Mother of Modern Nursing
◼ Lady with the Lamp
◼ Born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy
◼ Her SELF-APPOINTED GOAL – to change the profile of Nursing
◼ She compiled notes of her visits to hospitals, her observations of sanitation practices and entered
Deaconesses School of Nursing at Kaiserswerth, Germany for 3 months.
 EDUCATIVE PERIOD
▣ FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

◼ Became the Superintendent of the Establishment for Gentle Women during the
Illness (refers to the ill governess or instructors of Nursing

◼ She disapproved restriction on admission of patient and considered this

unchristian and contrary to health care.

◼ Upgraded the practice of Nursing and made Nursing a honorable profession

◼ Led other nurses in taking care of the wounded and sick soldiers during the
Crimean War

◼ She was designated as Superintendent of the Female Establishment of English

General Hospital in Turkey during the Crimean War

◼ She reduced the casualties of war by 42%-2% thru her effort by improving the
practice of sanitation techniques and procedure in the military barracks
 EDUCATIVE PERIOD
▣ THE CONCEPTS OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE ON NURSING SCHOOL:
◼ School of Nursing should be self-supporting not subject to the whimps of the
Hospital.
◼ Have decent living quarters for students and pay Nurse instructors
◼ Correlate theories to practice
◼ Support Nursing research and promote continuing education for nurses
◼ Introduce teaching knowledge that disease could be eliminated by cleanliness
and sanitation and Florence Nightingale likewise did not believed in the Germ
Theory of Bacteriology.
◼ Wrote Notes on Nursing, “What it is and what it is not.”
◼ Wrote notes on hospitals
 EDUCATIVE PERIOD
▣ OTHER SCHOOLS OF NURSING
◼ Bellevue Training School for Nurses – New York City
◼ Alexian Brothers Hospital School of Nursing in US exclusively for men. It opened in
1348 and it closed down in 1969.

▣ LINDA RICHARDS – the first graduate nurse in US. Graduated in

September 1, 1873.

▣ 2 NURSING ASSOCIATION / ORGANIZATIONS THAT UPGRADED

NURSING PRACTICE IN US:
◼ American Nurses Association
◼ National League for Nursing Education
 CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

▣ This covers the period after WWII to present :

▣ Establishment of the WHO by the UN to assist in fighting diseases by

providing health information and improving nutrition
▣ Use of atomic energy for medical diagnosis and treatment
▣ Utilization of computers for collecting data teaching, establishing
diagnosis, maintaining inventory, making payrolls, record keeping and
billing
▣ The advent of space medicine also brought about the development of
aerospace nursing
 CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
▣ FACTORS AFFECTING NURSING TODAY:

◼ Economics

◼ Consumer’s Demand

◼ Family Structure

◼ Information and Telecommunications

◼ Legislation