Chapter 1
The Origins of Nursing
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Historical Influences
• History shows us that care has been provided for the sick
even before the time of Christ. Based on mythical
figures, the caduceus and the staff of Aesculapius are the
modern symbols of medicine.
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Modern Symbols of Medicine
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Historical Influences
• Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” emphasized the
importance of caring for the whole person (holistic
healthcare), and thus helped lay the groundwork for
modern nursing and medicine.
• His holistic approach translates into the nurse’s
attentiveness to clients' needs—their emotions, lifestyles,
physical changes, spiritual needs, and individual
challenges.
• The Practical Nurses’ pledge is based on the Hippocratic
oath.
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Historical Influences
• During the Crusades (1096–1291), male military
personnel conducted most nursing care. The symbol for
this order was the Maltese Cross, which was the
forerunner of nursing school pins worn today.
• Until the 1800s, nursing was considered the most menial
of all tasks. This period is called the dark ages of nursing.
• In 1836, Pastor Theodor Fliedner established the
Kaiserswerth School for Nursing. Thus, by the late 1800s,
with the increase in the number of schools for trained
nurses, the status of nursing began to improve.
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Florence Nightingale’s Influence on
Modern Nursing
• It was only when Florence Nightingale graduated from
Kaiserswerth and began to teach her concepts that
nursing became a respected profession.
– Insisted on establishing sanitary conditions and
providing quality nursing care*
– Nurses should spend their time caring for others-not
cleaning*
• Her definition of nursing, published in 1859, is still
important today.
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Florence Nightingale’s Nursing Principles
• Florence Nightingale opened the first nursing school
outside a hospital in 1860. The school emphasized
learning, rather than service to the hospital. Some
principles of the Nightingale School for Nurses are still
taught today.
• The Nightingale School also included a number of
innovations that greatly affected the field of nursing and
nursing practice standards.
• Her dedicated service both during the day and at night,
when she and her nurses made their rounds carrying oil
lamps, created a public image of the lady with the lamp.
– “Lamp of Learning”
• A symbol of nursing and nursing education”
• Strive for excellence!!
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Nightingale Lamp
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Contributors to the Development of
Nursing in the United States
• Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802–1887) campaigned
against the inhumane treatment of the mentally ill.
• Clara Barton (1821–1912) founded the organization
now known as the American Red Cross.
• Melinda Ann (Linda) Richards (1841–1930) was the
first trained nurse in the United States.
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Contributors to the Development of
Nursing in the United States (cont’d)
• Isabel Hampton Robb (1860–1910) founded the
school of nursing at Johns Hopkins University and two
national nursing organizations. She wrote one of the
earliest nursing textbooks, Materia Medica for Nurses.
• Lavinia Lloyd Dock (1858–1956) assisted Robb in
founding the American Society of Superintendents of
Training Schools of Nursing.
• Mary Adelaide Nutting (1858–1947) established the
first college-based nursing program at Teachers College
of Columbia with Robb.
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Contributors to the Development of
Nursing in the United States (cont’d)
• Lillian Wald (1867–1940) is considered the founder of
American public health nursing.
• Mary E. Mahoney (1845–1926) was the first African
American graduate nurse and promoted fair treatment of
African Americans in healthcare.
• Mary Breckinridge (1881–1965) started one of the
first midwifery schools in the United States.
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Pioneering Nursing Schools in the United
States
• University of Minnesota
• Ballard School
• Thompson Practical Nursing School
• Household Nursing School
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Important Milestones in the History of
Nursing Education
• In 1908, the American Red Cross began offering home
nursing education to teach women how to care for
illnesses within their families.
• In 1914, Mississippi became the first state to designate
licensed practical nurses (LPNs).
• In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Hughes
Act, to promote vocational-technical and public
education.
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War-Related Developments in Nursing
• World War I marked the first emergency training of
nurses. During this time, the Army School of Nursing
was established.
• The U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps was established during
World War II, and more than 14,000 volunteer nurses
graduated in about 2 years. *It also marked the first
time that men as well as women were actively recruited
into nursing.
• By the end of the war, emphasis was placed on
improved graduate education for nurses. Nurses also
began to assume a broader, more responsible role—a
trend that continues today.
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**Current Influential Trends in Nursing**
The nurses’ responsibilities have increased as a direct
result of the following trends:
•Higher client acuity in hospital and long-term settings
•Shift to community-based care
–Outpatient surgery
•Developments in technology
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**Current Influential Trends in Nursing**
•Changing social factors
–homeless
•Greater life expectancy
–Living longer, more active and healthy
•Changes in nursing education
•Increased autonomy
–Nurses role is collaboration with other healthcare
team members
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Nursing Insignia, Uniforms, and the
Nursing School Pin
• The Nursing Insignia
– The “Nightingale lamp” remains a standard of
nursing insignia.
• The Nursing Uniform
– Clients usually feel more comfortable when nurses
are easily identifiable and distinguishable from other
staff. A nametag is important.
• The Nursing School Pin
– The Nightingale lamp is also a common component of
the nursing pin.
– May have a religious symbol such as the Maltese
Cross or Star of David*
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