Gifted Healthcare provided this article.
National Nurses Week is celebrated every year beginning on May 6th, National Nurses Day, and ending on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. During this week, we remember the moments in nursing history that made the profession so critical to the world. We also celebrate the Nurses who heal us every day, put our needs first, and collectively fight for humanity daily. Nurses have championed iconic moments in time throughout history, but the profession was not always respected.
In the 1800s, most “nursing” was executed by family members on sick loved ones at home. There was no schooling, certifications, or training to establish the profession and advance the field of nursing. All of this changed and set nursing forward on a successful path, and now we live in a world where nurses are a critical and essential piece of the healthcare system.
Let’s take a look at the moments in nursing history that have brought the field to where it is today. These historic moments contributed to making the field so special today.
Celebrating Historic Moments in Nursing History
1860
Florence Nightingale made history by establishing the very first collegiate nursing school in 1860. This groundbreaking school opened its doors in London and redefined nursing as a profession for the first time.
In the lead-up to the school’s inauguration, Nightingale published a groundbreaking instruction manual titled ‘Notes on Nursing.’ This manual drew from her experiences running an army field hospital during the Crimean War and provided valuable training tips.
Nightingale earned the nickname ‘Lady with the Lamp’ because of her dedication to patient care. She was often patrolling the hospital at all hours of the night. One of the key takeaways from her work was the pressing need to enhance ventilation and sanitation in hospitals.
Nightingale’s hands-on experiences were seamlessly incorporated into the school, leading to its remarkable success. Her pioneering efforts inspired the establishment of more nursing schools in locations such as New York City, Connecticut, and Boston.
The legacy of Nightingale’s original school lives on today, known as The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery. Her contributions to the profession are why she is often referred to as the mother of modern nursing,
1879
Mary Eliza Mahoney, a child of freed slaves, was the first African American licensed nurse and began working in 1879 at the age of 34, a dream she had since she was a teenager. Mahoney started working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children as a janitor in her teenage years, hoping to one day become a nurse. She spent 15 years at the hospital, working as a cook, washerwoman, and eventually a nurse’s aide.
Once accepted into nursing school for this experience, Mahoney was one of four students to graduate among a class of 42. This fact alone is exceptional, but what makes it astonishing is that Mahoney did all of this as an African American woman in a time when discrimination was overwhelming.
Due to discrimination, Mahoney spent the next 40 years working as a private nurse, advocating for equal rights, women’s rights, and the rights of children.
1947
By this time, the American Nurses Association had been established for more than 35 years. The association focused on improving working conditions for registered nurses, who still did not have equality in the field.
While Florence Blanchfield served in the military, women were not treated equally when it came to recognition and pay. In fact, women were discharged immediately if they chose to marry. Since Florence Blanchfield was a nurse during both World Wars I and II, she was aware of the inequalities she faced on the battlefield.
Blanchfield began leading efforts to earn full rank and payment for nurses serving in the military. By the end of 1947, Blanchfield’s efforts were validated, and nurses were granted full rank and equal pay under the Army-Navy Nurses Act.
1983
Cliff Morrison started as a nurse at San Francisco General Hospital in 1979. Within two years, the AIDS epidemic began, filling the hospital’s five ICUs with AIDS patients. Initially, there was little research on AIDS, causing tons of skepticism and fear amongst the masses. This consequently meant that sufferers had to endure both the disease’s physical and mental effects as well as societal stigma.
Morrison cared for his roommate, whom he believed had AIDS, using this experience to pioneer improved patient care for HIV/AIDS patients. He interviewed patients and gathered information on optimal support for terminally ill individuals.
In July 1983, Morrison’s research and first-hand experience led to the creation of Ward 5B. This unit, dedicated exclusively to the care of HIV/AIDS patients, was the first in the United States and revolutionized their treatment by emphasizing care and physical touch.
In Ward 5B, nurses touched their patients without gloves or protective gear to remove the feeling of ostracization, a bold move during a time when many healthcare professionals were too afraid to do so.
2020
2020 was the year of the nurse. The world began to face the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, and nurses around the globe stepped up to fight. Little was known about the disease, but that did not prevent nurses from putting patient care first.
Nurses had to shift from floor to floor, prioritizing COVID units and working far more hours than they ever had before. Not only was the work dangerous and exhausting, but it was also mentally difficult.
Afomia Bekel of Brigham & Women’s Hospital captured the sentiment of thousands of nurses, stating, “The pandemic’s urgency outweighed the fear of the unknown.”
While nurses continue to confront COVID-19 challenges, their efforts during the pandemic’s peak have collectively improved the global response to pandemics, making the world safer.
Thank you, Nurses!
Nurses come from a history of heroism, acting on the front lines through moments in nursing history. Nurses deserve the recognition as healthcare professionals they’ve long awaited, from battling for equality to rising during a global pandemic. These moments are iconic, but it doesn’t cover the massive amount of historic moments nurses make in their field every day.
The role of the nurse has evolved over time, but some things never change. Nursing is one of the professions the public trusts the most, and rightfully so! Celebrate this Nurses Week by thanking a nurse in your life. It is the care they give patients that heals the world.
We hope you found this article on celebrating historic moments in nursing history informational. Are there any historic moments in nursing history that you think should make our list? Comment what historic moments in nursing history you find most interesting or inspirational, below.
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