History of Nursing

The history of nursing shows little evidence that any form of nursing, as we know it, existed beyond caring for family, helping as midwives, and as wet and dry nurses. As the need grew for assisting the poor and the sick, so did the need for nurses – mostly during times of war. Throughout the history of nursing, improvement of training and working conditions for the ill and the nurses has been a battle in itself.

History of Nursing: 15th – 18th Centuries

The history of modern nursing shows us the origins began in the 15th century with the Christian period as wet nurses employed to provide nourishment, in the position of servant, then as dry nurse. Thus the terms nursing and nursery evolved.

In times of war, nuns of the Catholic Church administered to wounds both spiritually and medically. In the 16th century, the Sisters of Charity administered to the poor in their own homes and the streets.

By the beginning of the 17th century, the need for increased and improved medical care brought the establishment of the first North American hospital in Montreal. Nuns were brought from France to administer to the sick. Along with them came teaching nuns who taught area Indians to nurse their people.

In the colonies at the start of the American Revolution there wasn’t time to organize a nursing corp. Nuns of the Catholic Church were again called upon to help care for the wounded and sick. Women who followed their husbands were often found on the battlefields nursing to soldiers under enemy fire as did the famous Molly Pitcher in the Battle of Monmouth (NJ).

History of Nursing: 19th Century

Florence Nightingale advanced nursing by bringing attention to the need of nursing as a career through her participation in the Crimean War calling attention to the deplorable conditions.

The history of nursing also tells us of others in the 19th century who brought nursing education and care reform. The Civil War brought attention to the serious need for trained nurses who could respond to the needs of the troops. Clara Barton, a prominent nursing figure during the American Civil War, also contributed much to the development of nursing and founded the US Red Cross.

An outcome from these historical events was the establishment of nursing schools in eastern United States cities during the second half of the 1800s. The first hospital nurse training program was provided by the New England Hospital for Women and Children with a one-year program in 1872.  New Haven, Boston, and New York followed with training schools. Early history of nurse training has shown that the programs had little education but helped in the running of the hospitals. Nurses were charged with the responsibility of cleaning patients, beds, equipment, laundry, and rooms while working long 14-hour days and 7-day workweeks with very little free time for meals or rest.

History of Nursing: 20th Century

The 20th century brought better standards for the nurses and their working environment – a concern throughout the history of nursing. Because of the poor training and working conditions, nursing organizations were formed to address these concerns and demand change.  It is because of nursing organizations that men were excluded from the Army Corps of Nurses formed in 1907. It wasn’t until the Korean War that men were allowed to serve as military nurses.

World War II brought cause to remove experienced nurses from hospitals and assign them to military hospitals, responsible for treatment decisions for the first time.  To make up for the shortage of nurses, a Cadet Nurse Corps program was initiated in 1943. Over 100,000 nurses received training through this program over the next three years. Nurses serving during World War II were introduced to specialty areas of medicine such as psychiatry and anesthesia.

History of Nursing

The history of nursing has brought nurses a long way from being servant wet nurses to their present day status of members of a highly regarded medical profession.  As technology and medical care specialties continue to grow, so does the history of nursing. The 21st century promises to bring more exciting developments in medical treatments and advanced technology.