Nursing’s development from an occupation to a profession follows the devotion and sacrifice of many amazing women throughout history. Considered to be one of the oldest professions, women have performed what could be considered nursing duties since the beginning of time. Although there have been many events and many individuals who have contributed to nursing’s evolution from the occupation it was once considered to the profession that now exists, the development of formal education opportunities and scholarly resources and the women who created them is what fascinates me most. Without knowing, each of the following five women helped lay the groundwork for what Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN, eventually termed the eight characteristics of a profession …show more content…
Robb spent many years as a practicing nurse before becoming involved in education of nurses and nursing organizations. She devoted a significant amount of her career to founding and leading various nurse organizations. Robb’s desire to unite nurses eventually lead to the creation of the Association of Nursing Alumni which eventually evolved into the American Nurses Association (ANA) (The Isabel Hampton Robb Collection, n.d.). In 1896, she became the very first president of the ANA (Black, 2014). Isabel Hampton Robb’s contribution to nursing will always be grounded in the fact that she was able to organize a group of likeminded individuals into a national movement that was the precursor to the standards of practice we adhere to today. Many of Kelly’s Criteria can be recognized in the work of Robb. First and foremost is her was her ability and fortitude to organize and lead “an organization that encourages and supports high standards of practice” (Black, …show more content…
A staunch supporter in the development of nursing as a profession, Palmer helped launch and was the first editor of the Journal of Nursing in 1900 (Black, 2014). She spent 20 years as editor-in-chief of the periodical and wrote many editorials that helped to guide and shape the nursing profession. She viewed herself as a champion of the individual nurse but ultimately assisted in providing the foundation of the profession of nursing (Sophia French Palmer, n.d.). Palmer’s ideas and writings support Kelly’s Criteria of a profession by supporting the thought that a profession is consists of “a special body of knowledge that is continually enlarged through research” (Black,
Enthusiast historians within the leadership of professional organizations have commonly focused on the accomplishments of notable nurses and professional organizations in what became a narrative of professional and societal progress. This narrative, whole providing much rich historical data and analysis, ignores the vast majority of nurses’ experience and voices. In the mid nineteen eighties, as nursing was increasingly embattled in a growing health care industry, historians, some from outside the nursing profession, began to examine this history.
When one thinks of the evolution of nursing, several noteworthy women come to mind, yet one stands out, Florence Nightingale. In Notes on Nursing, Nightingale says “…put the patient in the best conditions for nature to act upon him.” (1859, p.75) She established standards that reformed the industry. For example; her practices of sanitation and aseptic methods led to a decrease in hospital mortality rates. By keeping records of care given, techniques used and the outcomes; by utilizing these records, she implemented documentation and evidence-based practice. She started the ball rolling on the transition of nursing from a belittled trade to the profession it is now proclaimed to be. Nightingale, in conjunction with other
Q6. How does the nursing curriculum result in creating a feminised outlook for this profession?
Bedside nursing in its current state is often viewed as a trade rather than a profession. Historically, trades have required associates degrees to enter the field with emphasis placed on job related experience from that point on. Nurses have historically viewed themselves as caregivers rather than professionals while working under direct authority of a practicing physician (Taylor, 2008). Before the advent of the two year junior college program in 1952 nurses were mainly care-givers working from on the job training in a similar way to certified nurse aides today. These nurses would be paid very little and had jobs revolving around cleanliness, bathing, administering basic medications, and duties similar to a maid (Roberts, 1954). After the nursing shortage boom of the late 1940’s a system provides associates degrees in nursing was implemented in 1952 with a focus on moving nursing away from hospital certif...
In today’s society nursing meets all the requirements of being a profession. To be considered a profession, one has to be dedicated to their career, abide by standards and a code of ethics, and have a higher education and a body of knowledge, duty to provide service, have autonomy and be part of a professional organization. Nurses take the traditional role of caring for loved ones to a whole new level of care.
...re opportunities for nurses. Today’s demand for skilled nurses significantly outweighs the supply of such professionals. In an economically challenged background, all nations are actively looking for ways to change healthcare by expanding value in the care delivery systems. For nurses, everyone’s role adds value to the patients, the communities, the countries, and the world. The development and evolution of nursing is associated with the historical influences throughout different ages. The study of the history of nursing helps understand the issues that confronted the profession. It also allows nurses to gain the appreciation they deserve for playing the role of caring for patients during wartime. The role of the profession has played an important part of history. Through the history, each nurse has efficiently established the achievements of the history of nursing.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) developed a foundation for which all nurses are expected to perform their basic duties in order to meet the needs of the society we serve. The ANA “has long been instrumental in the development of three foundational documents for professional nursing; its code of ethics, its scope and standards of practice, ands statement of social policy.” (ANA, 2010, p. 87) The ANA defined nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” and used to create the scope and standards of nursing practice. (ANA, 2010, p. 1) These “outline the steps that nurses must take to meet client healthcare needs.” () The nursing process, for example, is one of the things I use daily. Other examples include communicating and collaborating with my patient, their families, and my peers, and being a lifelong learner. I continually research new diagnoses, medications, and treatments for my patients. As a nurse of ...
The goal was to maintain and improve the standards of nursing education throughout nursing history. She also joined the American Nurses Association (ANA) along with the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). With these two organizations, the purpose of these commitments was to improve the standards of health and access to healthcare services for everyone. Promotion of the professional growth and development of all nurses included economic issues, working conditions, and independence of practice. She joined the state organization and through the state organization she was indirectly a member of the ANA and now it has just been proposed that a nurse can join the ANA without going through the state first. The ANA establishes and continually update standards of nursing practice (Catalano, 2009). The ANA hall of fame decided to honor her and other nurses whose achievements and dedication affected the nursing
Around the 1960s, nursing educational leaders wanted to formulate a nursing theory that contained knowledge and basic principles to guide future nurses’ in their practice (Thorne, 2010, p.64). Thus, Jacqueline Fawcett introduced the metaparadigm of nursing. Metaparadigm “identifies the concepts central to the discipline without relating them to the assumptions of a particular world view” (MacIntyre & Mcdonald, 2014). Fawcett’s metaparadigm of nursing included concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing that were interrelated. The metaparadigm ultimately contributed to conceptual framework to guide nurses to perform critical thinking and the nursing process in everyday experiences in clinical settings.
Nursing is a field of work that so many people find themselves fascinated with, as well as harboring a degree of respect. We look to nurses with a sense of admiration and reverence, and look to them for security in times of need. What makes nursing such a desirable and enthralling field to other people? Despite the fact that doctors are normally under the spotlight, nursing is of profound importance in American culture. Nurses provide comfort and security, as well as a knowledge of medical aid. The field of nursing has the benefit of coming from a field that is ancient, yet timeless and has blossomed throughout history to make a large impact on our culture today.
The image of nursing has changed throughout history. According to ten Hoeve, Y., Jansen, G., & Roodbol, P. (2013), “Florence Nightingale saw nursing as an independent profession that was not subordinate, but equal to the medical profession (physicians), for a long time nursing was seen as inseparable from the medical profession” (p.2). The image and the position of nurses was influenced based on the orders of a physician. Nurses were viewed as feminine and caring, not as healthcare providers. As a result, nursing seemed to be viewed as a profession with limited career opportunities. The image of nursing has evolved over time as well as the roles and practices in order to meet the needs of society.
...n the world today and people need all of the help and care that they can get. Nursing has changed over the years; however, what hasn’t changed is the dedication and compassion of the nursing profession.
Registered nurses came through a long way back to the 19th century, when they used to provide care to the injured soldiers and other injures strangers. Florence Nightingale was the first influenced in this career. She was a daughter of a British family who worked her life to improve the field of nursing. Her main goal was to spread this field throughout the countries. As a success the first school was in the United States, in Boston. Then later it was passed to New York and others states. In today’s society we are still acknowledge to her great work. And improve the medical field for a better upgrade towards today’s society and generation.
Nursing was not always the profession we know it as today. “Nurses were often lower class, usually had no education, and were often alcoholics, prostitutes, and women who were down on their luck” (Finkleman & Kenner, 2013, p. 9). There was a high morality rate due to the lack of training and unkept environment the patients stayed in. However, when Florence Nightingale came into the nursing world everything changed. She believed that nurses shouldn’t be lower-class alcoholic women but women of higher class with an education. Therefore, she opened a school in London to train and educate women because “Nursing is an art and a science” (Masters, 2015, p. 29). She believed an average person should be able to understand medical
This paper is going to reflect my thoughts on nursing as a profession and why I think the different aspects of nursing are so important. The purpose of the content in this paper is to give the reader a straightforward view on nursing and the different components of what makes up a nurse. I will do this through analyzing the theory of nursing created by theorist Jean Watson. Her ideas about nursing and mine flow so well together and the similarities are noted throughout the paper.