Honors Project 3Foundations Honors Project Spring 2007
Historical Perspectives
Nursing is alive in the present because of the past people and adjustments necessary tokeep it in the times. A look at the metamorphosis though out the history of this professiongives great insight to how and why the evolvement developed. This evolution stillincorporates much of nursing past. Mannino (n.d.) offers insight into the study of nursing past. He implies, however, that the study of the past should begin with the presenthappenings of nursing so there will be an appreciation of the influence of the past events.Technological advancements have significant impact in the development of nursing.Sandelowskli (2000) reminds of the entrance of the mercury thermometer that broughtscience to the beside in the late 19
th
century. “Yet the time required to take and record thetemperatures of many patients, and the maintenance of this delicate instrument, impeded physicians’ use of it. Accordingly, much of thermometry work, featured in the firstAmerican nursing texts in the 1870’s, was soon delegated to nurses. Nurses becameclosely linked with thermometry, obtaining accurate temperatures, maintain accuraterecords, and ensuring the cleanliness of the thermometers. Nurses were even encouragedto think of themselves as thermometers, alert to any changes in the ward atmosphere.”
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