1 History of Nursing, and Evolution of Nursing Education in Kenya History and Nursing Practice History studies events in the past that led to the present. Purposefully, the investigation of history accentuates the request for occasions and what those occasions meant for individuals and society over the long run. Every age has had a significant impact on the development of the nursing profession since antiquity. Through the investigation of nursing history, cultural elements, and nursing calling difficulties can be grasped. Donahue (1991), argues that: medical nurses’ ability to defend the nursing field’s profession has contributed to the medical services framework and is improved by acknowledging the verifiable past of the calling. This analysis focuses on the origins and expansion of nursing, and nursing education in Kenya, as well as the primary influencers on the development of nursing practice and the impact, nurses have had on the healthcare revolution. Development of Nursing from Early Civilization to the 16th Century From the beginning of civilization to the 16th century, traditional civic institutions held the belief that powerful forces caused illness. Illogical changes in body capability causes were conjectured by animism. As per this way of thinking, everything in nature had power and was alive attributed to imperceptible powers. Contemptible spirits brought confusion and demise, while good spirits gave solace, health, and prosperity. Attendant nurses’ and specialist doctors’ jobs in conveying treatment were distinct. Dolan, Fitzpatrick, & Herrmann (1983), opine that the nurse was the mother who gave the family herbal remedies and physical care when they were sick while the doctor was the medicine man. The naturing and compassionate role of the nurse has persisted until this era (Nutting & Dock,1907). 2 At the beginning of the 16th century, numerous Western nations shifted from a pious orientation to an emphasis on the military, exploration, and the spread of knowledge. The resulting closure of numerous religious and cloister communities led to a severe shortage of healthcare providers. To address this problem, women who had committed delinquencies got jobs as nurses to get rid of their stained reputation; according to Rooyen and Jordan, P.J. (2013), nurses worked long hours in stressful environments for low pay. Florence Nightingale and the Birth of Modern Nursing Essentially, societal transformations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries revolutionized the social standing of nurses and women in general. Due to the widespread adoption of the Florence’s fundamental guidelines, nursing as appreciated presently began in the centuries that followed. Nightingale was raised in an affluent background. Despite her parents’ reservations, Nightingale enlisted as a nursing understudy in Germany at the Lutheran Hospital in the year eighteen forty-four (Rooyen &Jordan, 2013) Nightingale relocated to Britain at the beginning of the years 1850s and worked as a nurse at the Middlesex Hospital. Nightingale gained prominence as supervisor after only a brief period of employment since her superior was thrilled with her work. The post, however, demonstrated trouble as she managed a cholera episode and toxic situations that was ideal for the illness' fast spread (Helmstandter,2009). Nightingale rendered it her duty to better hygiene procedures, significantly shrinking the hospital's mortality rate. 3 The Crimean War October 1853 saw the start of the Crimean War. The English and the Russian Domain battled for incomparability over the Ottoman Realm. English troops prepared for the Black Sea, where they immediately missed the mark regarding supplies. Many combatants had been admitted to military hospitals by 1854. No female nurses were employed in Crimean hospitals at that time; due to their bad reputation, the war office avoided hiring additional female nurses. In addition to living in filthy and ferocious conditions, the wounded and ill combatants were treated inadequately by hospitals. Late in 1854, the Secretary of War wrote to Nightingale asking her to arrange a gathering of medical attendants to care for the hurt and dead soldiers in Crimea. Florence trusted the call, acted quickly, and amassed an assembly of thirty-four clinical nurses from a couple of strict affiliations and traveled to Crimea with them soon after the call (Pavey,1953). The English base emergency clinic sat on a colossal cesspit, which dirtied the water and the center. In stretches dissipated across the passageways, the afflicted lay in their torment where the gnawers and bugs hurried by. The increase in the number of sick and incapacitated individuals resulted in the shortage of extremely essential supplies, such as crepe bandages and detergents. Additionally, the lack of water exacerbated the situation. More combatants passed on from unnecessary afflictions majorly diarrheal diseases than war zone wounds. Florence hastily embarked on her duty, getting many scour brushes, and cleaning the facility, with emphasis on holistic care of patients and the immediate surrounding. She unendingly focused on the soldier’s holistic care while using a lantern to make her ward rounds through the gloomy hallways at night. The state troopers denoted her as "the Lady with the Lamp" because her unending compassion inspired and relieved them of their agony and pain. Deaths significantly decreased 4 within a few months (Woodham-Smith, 1951). The writings of Florence Nightingale serve as the foundation for the current evidence-based nursing practice. A few examples of the many ways that nursing has advanced include the appreciation of the role that nursing plays in health advancement, the development of a distinct body of knowledge, the conduct and publication of nursing research, and the practice of nursing in a wide range of healthcare settings. The profession's growth has been supported by a greater emphasis on nursing knowledge as the foundation of evidence-based practice. The development of nursing in Kenya and the emergence of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree Mule (1986, p. 83), notes that Kenya's political history significantly impacted the nursing profession development. Missionaries were adamant to pass curative medications on to Kenyans, however, fixing and focusing on every Kenyan was unsustainable. Consequently, nurses in Kenya required immediate training. According to Mule (1986, p. 84), the initial focus of nurse education was solely on curative care. The state authority stepped in when there was a mounting need for clinical consideration and nursing administrations. In 1929, nursing educational programs were laid out to prepare medical attendants to be associate grade one medical nurses, and dressers grade two. Through the ministry, the regime established registered nursing programs in Kenya in 1952. To meet Kenyans' needs, the nursing profession needed to expand. The 1980s denoted a time of quick populace development in Kenya, this followed a time of fast economic improvement in the country (Priscah, 2016). The regime of the time was unable to provide the populace with medical care services, prompting the state to commission the beginning of Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse training programs. The Nursing 5 Council of Kenya was recognized by an Act of Parliament in 1983 under the Nurses Act Cap 257 of the Laws of Kenya. This led to significant advancements in nursing education. Complex diseases like HIV, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes emerged or expanded during this time. To manage these diseases, healthcare professionals needed to be extremely skilled and knowledgeable. Baraton University received approval to offer Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in 1988. Nairobi University's approval followed in 1992 and Moi University's approval six years later, Nursing training at a degree level has since extended and is at present offered in numerous foundations of higher learning. The Nursing Council of Kenya has approved higher learning establishments. Conclusion Nursing has come a long way to be the profession of repute that it is today. The metamorphosis and evolution are a direct result of the endless attempts of the nurses who aspired to a profession that would provide holistic care to patients, families, and communities. Florence Nightingale’s contribution and fundamental principle standards are the foundations of contemporary evidencebased nursing practice. These aspirations and or visions ought to be reciprocated by nursing professionals through endless professional nursing research in education and practice. 6 References 1. Dingwall, R., Rafferty, A. M., & Webster, C. (2002). An introduction to the social history of nursing. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-the-Social-History-of-Nursing/DingwallRafferty-Webster/p/book/ 2. Egenes, K. J. (2017). History of nursing. Issues and trends in nursing: Essential knowledge for today and tomorrow, 1-26. Egenes, K. J. (2017). 3. Priscah, M. J., Ronald, O. O., & Tecla, S. J. (2016). Portfolio development as a method of learning, assessment, and evaluation in clinical Nursing Education in Kenya. Int. J. Sci. Res. Innov. Technol.
