The art of attending to people during times of war and sickness is vital and can be dated back hundreds of years. These are the roots of what has grown into the nursing profession. Nursing is a highly respected and honorable profession all over the world. Through the years nurses have been recognized as playing a vital part in the help and welfare of mankind, although many times under appreciated. Typically the nurses work under the doctors, which can lead to them looked down upon and underestimated. In reality, nurses are very important and the right arm to the hospital.
Nurses simply do not get enough credit for all their hard work. Nurses are arguably underpaid and under appreciated; however, the role of the nurse is, and has always been, one of the most vital to the medical profession. With its illustrious history, in ways, nursing today is based on everything in it’s past. The art of nursing has an interesting and storied history. Europe stands at the forefront of the practice of nursing, giving us some of the most well known nurses in history. During the Roman Empire nurses were referred to as “hypourgoi”. Hospitals were being built and nursing became more recognized.
The globalization of nursing can be attributed to Europe and the Roman Catholic Church. Europe began to implement laws, rules, and regulations for hospitals and infirmaries. This aided nurses in being able to provide the care patients needed and established their role (The History). History has impacted the future. Nurses have came so far since Europe, although if Europe had not recognized the practice of nursing, we might not have it in America. As time has passed nurses are known as “the largest deliverer of health care in the U. S. ” (The Role).
America during the 1900’s nurses were needed on the front lines more than ever. Many nurses were sent to attend to all of the wounded soldiers. Crimean War all the way to the Civil War, nurses were needed every day (The History). Florence Nightingale is a historical nurse, her nursing profession is what encouraged others to take on that role as well. Nightingale was in fact a nurse in the 1900’s (The History of Nursing). Known as “The lady with the lamp”, Florence Nightingale had arguably the biggest impact on nursing. Throughout Florence Nightingale’s life she contributed to the shaping of the nursing profession.
Her calling to nursing was obvious even as a child. As a young girl she cared for the unfortunate and ill, once she reached the age of 16, nursing was her calling. Instead of of marriage, Nightingale chose to pursue her dreams and learn the nursing profession. Nightingale attended the Institution of Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserswerth, Germany for three months gaining knowledge to become one of the most excellent nurses in history. Nightingale worked at Middlesex hospital, there was an outbreak of cholera, and Nightingale managed to boost the hygiene at the hospital and rapidly reduce the sickness.
Florence Nightingale helped others to understand that nurses didn’t need to know the process of the disease, they need to know how to care for the patients, help them deal with their symptoms, and be there for them to rely on through it all (The Lady). Florence Nightingale has without a doubt had an important impact on the future of nursing. Growing up, she wanted to help people, and make an impact. Nightingale will always be remembered in history as one of the first nurses. Florence Nightingale and many who can after her have effectively advanced the nursing field throughout the years.
She has had a great impact on the nursing that is still apparent today and how the hospitals advance. Starting with Florence Nightingale influencing the nursing in WWII (The History). WWII has encouraged nursing in today’s society. Nurses were begging to care for the wounded soldiers in the wars, which being called “heroes” during this time would be an understatement. Nurses during 1939 were not typically around wounded patients that needed care immediately, they were around the flu and common colds, so to take on this obligation, they were being very bold.
Although the conditions is moving from typical doctor’s office nursing to battlefield nursing were no doubt shocking, these brave women made the change without hesitation. Nurses have become more important and required as the years have come. Many nurses have encouraged the title “nursing” to become important and prove the knowledge required to society. In the early years of nursing, doctors were to be respected by the nurses and have all of the material ready when they walked in the room, and to an extent, that is true to this day. In the older days of nursing it was the doctor’s job to hang the IV bags and take the blood pressure (11 Ways).
Today, it is the nurses job to do all of the preparation, like hanging IV bags and taking blood pressure. One could say that nurses are judged based off of the nurses role in the early years, a nurses role advances every day. A nurse has a a few of the responsibilities that a doctor used to have, and aren’t given the credit that they should get. Throughout time, nurses have received a larger salary due to the importance they had on history. Today, staff nurses typically start off with a pay of $39,000 a year. A general doctor typically gets paid $160,000 a year. One doctor’s salary measures up to the amount of four nurses salaries.
Nurses preform more or the same duties as a doctor. Specializing in something or a Registered Nurse, the pay is more, but the salary for a doctor is way beyond the salary of any nurse (The Difference). A doctor preforms the procedure, and the nurses do the rest of the duties for the patients. Many could say that nurses are underpaid and aren’t given the credit that they should receive. The nursing profession over the years has required more and more education and training. Nurses deserve at least half of the pay of a doctor. To become a nurse, that person must have at least a four year degree.
Training in nursing has become very important. Nurses must know how to become independent and know what steps to take during emergency. In the early years of health care, doctors were over the nurses constantly, today nurses are expected to work alone and know what to do. Technology has evolved over time, therefore the nurses and doctors must be prepared and trained to use the materials (How Has). Nurses are very vital to health care, having the right amount of training is important. Nurses have a huge part in predicting life or death for the patients. The responsibilities and roles of nursing has changed in many ways over the years.
Today nurses play the role of taking blood work, diagnosing the patients, updating the patients charts, monitoring the patients well being, and much more (What Do). Nurses have the responsibility to take physical exams of the patients, find out the health histories of the patients and their families. Nurses have the responsibilities of making decisions that will either impact the patients long term or short term (What Nurses). With one of the most important roles being decision making a nurse must evaluate the outcome bef taking actions (Roles And). A nurse has to give patients their medication and be 100% confident of all their actions.
A nurse has to preform their profession wherever it is needed. A nurses will have to work sometimes in camps, tourists destinations, prisons, homeless shelters, wherever they are called to. Nurses are prepared at all times to take an unexpected event. Typically nurses are preforming in hospitals, medical facilities, clinics of all kind, nursing homes, schools, and sometimes ambulatory care. Being prepared in health care is very important. Patients depend on the nurse constantly (What Nurses). Florence Nightingale has played a part in determining where nurses work.
In the early 20th century of nursing, the patients were usually seen in their homes. Today, patients are typically seen in a hospital setting. The in home health care is coming back around from the early 20th centuries with an opportunity for nurses to take hospice positions (Nursing Past). Nurses have to have the heart for their profession. Typically, the patients that come into the hospitals and different facilities aren’t necessarily able to provide for themselves. A nurse must take on the important role of making sure patients are groomed daily and have a clean area to stay (What Do).
Nurses must have the mindset to preform their profession everyday. Nurses want to be the one that everyone loves to be around. Nursing is comparable to marketing, the mindset is to encourage people to continue buying stuff from that company. Nurses should have the mindset to put forth their best effort with every patient and show them that they care about their well being. Patients look at attitude and the way they are taken care of. It is important for a nurse to make sure they have the right mindset going in everyday (The Fundamentals).
Nursing is still evolving today, there are things improving and changing every day in health care. Information and new paths are taking place all the time. In order for new diagnosis to be found, there must be an improvement in the technologies (Nurses Take). Change and improvement is a great thing. It is important for health care facilities to study different illnesses, so in case of emergency or an odd case, they are prepared. Since the earliest nurses, there have been change and there always will be. Taking care of the ill is one of the most important roles.
Nursing is one of the most important professions in the world. Nurses put their lives on the line everyday for the wounded. Having a heart for nursing is very special. Nurses have an amazing influence on people in society, encouraging them to have a heart and help others when they are in need. Nurses are very much needed all of the time in the world. Seeing the service that nurses give to patients could inspire one to go into the nursing profession. Someone who is a nurse should be highly respected. It could be said that nurses are the safe haven and privilege to society in time of need.