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3100 BCE
The First Documentation of Nursing
In the period of circa 3100 (BCE), in “Ancient Egypt” both genders of men and women were nurses; however, men worked with physicians whereas female nurses were wet-nurses. "The royal nurses," were “the ones who nurtured the God" = the king. Interestingly, the wet-nurse, who suckled the baby and serviced the king was considered royalty and was even buried next to the queen. These “royal nurses,” had many privileges. This image is of Maia, Tutankhamun, known as King Tut's wet-nurse. -
30
Roman Empire Nurses
The Roman Empire remarkably sought to have a hospital in every town within their rule. The nursing profession proliferated during the height of the Roman Empire around 30 A.D. There were many inpatient men and women nurses because the Byzantine Empire created 2-fully developed hospitals within the great city of Constantinople. Professional nurses were known as hypourgoi. In fact, the men were called hypourgoi, and the women hypourgissess, which are shown in the picture. -
The Profession of Modern Nursing
Florence Nightingale, born May 12, 1820, began her nursing career during the Crimean War, which took placed around the mid-1850s. She tended to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. The men called her, "The Lady with the Lamp," because she would check on the soldiers late at night carrying her lamp. Her pioneering work was implementing better hygiene in the hospital and in the battlefield area around the hospital. She made it her mission to improve public health by advocating for sanitation. -
Formalized Nursing Education
Ms. Nightingale commenced the development of nursing by implementing formalized education. She established London's St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Nightingale Training School of Nurses in 1860, which is shown in the picture. Furthermore, she made significant statistical contributions regarding army data as well as other epidemiological studies, while working with leading statisticians William Farr and John Sutherland. -
Nurse Leaders In History
*Lillian Ward (1867): founder of public health *Mary Eliza Mahoney (1878): She became the first African American Trained Nurse. Ms. Mahoney is shown in the picture. *Margaret Sanger (1879): She was born in 1879 and established Planned Parenthood in 1916. *Clara Barton (1881): In 1881, she founded The American Red Cross. *Lavinia Dock (1893): She started the American League for Nursing. *Lieutenant Edward T. Lyon (Oct. 6, 1955): became the Army Nurse Corp’s first male nurse. -
Future Advances in Nursing: Telehealth Medicine
Telehealth is making significant advances in the nursing profession and has many advantages. Individuals who live in rural areas or those who cannot take time off work for various reasons can still seek the advice of medical professionals. Telehealth is an excellent resource for nurses to educate patients, monitor trends of vital signs, assist with prescriptions, and doctors' orders. -
Nursing and Compact Licensure
All states require that nurses be licensed to practice. In order to become licensed, the nurse must complete an accredited nursing program and pass the NCLEX. BSN and ADN degrees are required to work in hospitals. (LPN)/(LVN) work in a variety of settings such as private-duty, residential care, and clinics. Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows nurses to have multistate licenses. Licensure renewal is every 2 years and requires 30 contact hours of continuing education (CE) credits.