HOW HAS NURSING PRACTICE EVOLVED OVER TIME? NRS 430
HOW HAS NURSING PRACTICE EVOLVED OVER TIME? NRS 430
How has nursing practice evolved over time? Discuss the key leaders and historical events that have influenced the advancement of nursing, nursing education, and nursing roles that are now part of the contemporary nursing profession.
Over the past two years we have seen so much of life as we once knew it change.
Nursing has certainly seen many things change.
What do you think will be happening in nursing in the next few years? What trends do you expect?
I feel we have reached a time in nursing that will see changes and new challenges and possibilities.
Here is an article about some possible upcoming trends in nursing in 2022. It is an interesting read.
One thing I find to be of interest is the use of virtual simulations and technology in nursing education. I was part of a team that had to quickly get up and running with virtual simulations to keep students progressing forward in their nursing education programs. Virtual simulations are different, of course, from in person clinical but they do have great value.
Nursing has evolved over time from being the work of men and “medicine men” who took care of the sick or injured because no one else would do it, to a well respected, highly educated and desirable profession. Nursing had become a job for the “undesirables” in society — the immoral, the alcoholic, and the illiterate. Thankfully as time went on, there was a foundation set, the military and government took note of the importance of nursing and education.
Florence Nightingale was the pioneer in laying the foundation for nursing. She not only forged the way, she“enforced basic hygiene for patients and staff, proper handwashing, sanitation, ventilation, sunlight, and attention to diet.” Something no one had done before, she was able to teach and grow the profession to what it is today. If we look back at what she did, with her research she may have been the founder of evidence based practice, before it had a name. She wrote a book and started the first nurse training school.
The need for nursing services continued during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Women came from all over trained and not trained to take care of the sick and wounded fighting the war. The respect of what these women did caught the governments attention, however as training programs and early nursing schools were established there were racial and gender barriers, men and African Americans were discriminated against.
As the world evolved, people were educated about the profession, schools opened their doors and allowed admission for all genders and races to become nurses. It became a highly desired career where men and women were taught nursing research, evidence based practice, learned the skills needed to safely and effectively care for the ill.
· I agree with you when you say Nightingale may have been the founder of evidence based practice. Nightingale assessed her patient’s environment, collected data, went back and analyzed those data and came up with her theory. One of the difference between now and then is that we have advanced technologies.
