Analysis of The Evolution of Nursing

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Nursing is one of the oldest professions. It isn’t a static occupation, as it has changed frequently over time. Its development and evolution has changed differently depending on the historical influences. As of today the nursing profession is changing and becoming larger and greater. Nursing has gone from being a career that did not require an education, to being one that is very respected and demands a high education. The first nurses were usually women of the community who were often paid to take care of the sick. The most popular nurses were wet nurses who were women who was ready to have a child, a woman who had a child that didn’t survive birth, or who could feed more that one child. All nurses at this time would work at someones house because there was no such thing as a hospital until 1751, but even then people didn’t think of them as a good and safe place to go. During the Civil War they really worked towards building more hospitals and it drove the nursing profession to grow and have a large demand for nurses, but they were more like volunteers, such as wives or mistresses who were following their soldier men. Being a war nursing at that time was seen as a job for the lower class and no “respectable” woman could be seen in a military hospital. During the Civil War Phoebe Levy Pember, a young widow, went north to the confederate capital of Richmond. She eventually ran the world’s largest hospital, where on an average day she would supervise the treatment of 15,000 patients who were cared for by nearly 300 slave women. The war then led to a greater respect for nurses which was noticed by Congress. They then passed a bill providing pensions to Civil War nurses, but more importantly this led to the profe... ... middle of paper ... ...ly complex and full of skill and knowledge. Nurses usually have a close relationship with their patients which drives them to help in anyway possible which can often cause a medical advancement. Throughout time, nurses have worked hard, whether the profession was well respected or not, which is how many of the different changes have happened in nursing. This profession has been evolving continuously to shape what is happening in the nation and the world to continue to help the sick and injured. You can see throughout time what influences the events had on the changes in the field of nursing. Nursing will continue to evolve with new and different hospital structures and more advanced technology. No matter how advanced the gadgets become or how complex the job is, nurses will remain being caregivers and with vouch for the sick and at risk members of our communities.

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