PERIODS OF NURSING HISTORY
 Intuitive Period
 Apprentice Period
 Educative Period
 Contemporary Period
INTUITIVE PERIOD
 Prehistoric  Early Christian Era, More on intuition
 NOMADS – travel from one place to another
 Survival of the fittest
 “Best for the most” – motto
 Sickness is due to “voodoo”
 Performed out of feeling of compassion for others
 Performed out of desire to help
 Performed out of wish to do good
 Nursing is given by the WOMEN
INTUITIVE PERIOD
 SHAMAN – uses white magic to counteract the
black magic
--They are the doctors during those time.
 TREPHINING – drilling the skull
 Used to treat Psychotic patients
 Psychotic patients are believed to be possessed
by evil spirits.
 Growth of religion – most important thing that
happened
Growth of civilization
Law of self preservation – inspire man in search of
knowledge
RISE IN CIVILIZATION
From the mode of Nomadic life  agrarian
society  gradual development of urban
community life
Existence of means of communication
Start of scientific knowledge  more complex life
 increase in health problems  demand for
more nurses
Nursing as a duty of SLAVES and WIVES.
NURSING DID NOT CHANGE but there was
progress in the practice of Medicine.
Care of the sick was still closely allied with
superstitions, religion and magic
RISE IN CIVILIZATION
Near East – birth place of 3 religious ideologist:
Judaism
Christianity
Mohammedism or Islam
- Near East culture was adopted by the Greeks
and Romans combine wit the wonders of the Far
East by returning crusaders and explorers
improved and was carried to Europe during the
Renaissance Period that resulted to greater
knowledge then to the New World by the Early
settlers.
RISE IN CIVILIZATION
New World – a tiny area known as birth of
monotheism that lies between Tigris and
Euphrates River in the Nile River arose the cultures
of Babylonia, Egypt and Hebrew.
MONOTHEISM – believer of one God
BABYLONIANS
CODE OF HAMMURABI
 1st recording on the medical practice
 Established the medical fees
 Discouraged experimentation
 Specific doctor for each disease
 Right of patient to choose treatment between the
use of charms, medicine, or surgical procedure
EGYPTIANS
 ART OF EMBALMING
 Mummification
 Removing the internal organs of the dead body
 Instillation of herbs and salt to the dead
 Used to enhance their knowledge of the human
anatomy. Since work was done and performed
on the dead, they learned nothing of Philosophy
 “THE 250 DISEASES”
 Documentation about 250 diseases and
treatments
HEBREW
 Teachings of MOSES
 Created Leviticus
 Father of sanitation
 Practice the values of “Hospitality to strangers”
and the “Act of Charity” – contained in the book
of Genesis
 LEVITICUS – 3rd book of the Old Testament
 Laws controlling the spread of communicable
diseases
 Laws governing cleanliness
 Laws on preparation of food
 Purification of man and his food
 The ritual of CIRCUMCISION – on the 8th day after
birth
MOSAIC LAW
 Meant to keep Hebrews pure so that they may
enter the sanctuary without affronting God Meant
as a survival for health and hygienic reason only
 CHINA
 Use of pharmacologic drugs
 “MATERIA MEDICA”
 Book that indicates the pharmacologic drug used
for treatment no knowledge on anatomy.
 Use of wax to preserve the body of the dead
 Method of paper making
 FACTORS THAT HAMPERED THE ADVANCEMENT OF
MEDICINE:
 Baby boys given girl’s name
 Prohibits dissecting of human body thus thwarting
scientific study
INDIA
 SUSHURUTO
 1st recording on the nursing practice
 Hampered by Taboos due to social structures and
practices of animal worship
 Medicine men built hospitals
 Intuitive form of asepsis
 There was proficient practice of Medicine and
Surgery
 NURSES QUALIFICATIONS: Lay Brothers, Priest
Nurses, combination of Pharmacist, Masseurs, PT,
cooks
 There was also decline in Medical practice due to
fall of Buddhism – state religion of India
GREECE
 AESCULAPUS
 Father of medicine in Greek mythology
 HIPPOCRATES
 Father of modern medicine
 1st to reject the idea that diseases are caused by
evil spirits
 1st to apply assessment
 Practice medical ethics
CADUCEUS
 Insignia of medicine
 Composed of staff of travellers intertwined with 2
serpent (the symbol of Aesculapus and his healing
power). At the apex of the staff are two wings of
Hermes (Mercury) for speed.
 NURSES  function of untrained slaves
ROMANS
 Proper turnover for the sick people
 “If you’re strong, you’re healthy” – motto
 Transition from Pagan to Christianity
FABIOLA
 Was converted to Christian and later she
converted her home to a hospital and used her
wealth for the sick.
 1st hospital in the Christian world
APPRENTICE PERIOD
 11th century  1836
 On-the-job training period
 Refers to a beginner (on-the-job training). It
means care performed by people who are
directed by more experienced nurses
 Starts from the founding of Religious Orders in the
6th century through the Crusades in the 11th
century (1836 – when the deaconesses School of
Nursing was established in Kaiserswerth, Germany
by Pastor THEODORE FLEIDNER)
APPRENTICE PERIOD
 There was a struggle for religious, political, and
economic powerCrusades took place in order to
gain religious, political, and economic power or
for adventure during the Crusade in this period, it
happened as an attempt to recapture the Holy
Land from the Turk who obtained and gain
control of the region as a result of power struggle.
Christians were divided due to several religious
war and Christians were denied visit to The Holy
Sepulcher.
MILITARY RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND THEIR WORKS
 KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM (ITALIAN)
 Also called as “Knights of the Hospitalers”.
Established to give care
TEUTONIC KNIGHTS (GERMAN)
 Took subsequent wars in the Holy Land
 Cared for the injured and established hospitals in
the military camps
KNIGHTS OF ST.LAZARUS
 Care for those who suffered Leprosy, syphilis, and
chronic skin diseases
 ALEXIAN BROTHERS
 A monasteric order founded in 1348. They
established the Alexian Brothers School of Nursing,
the largest School under religious auspices
exclusively in US and it closed down in 1969
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
 He organized the charity group called the “La
Charite” and the “Community of Sisters of
 Charity” composed of women dedicated in
caring for the sick, the poor, orphaned, and the
widowed. He founded the “Sisters of Charity
School of Nursing” in Paris, France where Florence
Nightingale had her 2nd formal education in
Nursing.
LOUISE de GRAS
 Was the 1st Superior and co-founder of the
Community of Sisters of Charity
 NURSING SAINTS
ST. CLAIRE OF ASSISI
 Took vows of poverty, obedience to service and
chastity
 Founded the 2nd order of St. Francis of Assisi
 “the poor Claire”
ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
 The patroness of Nursing
 A princess
 Sees her calling to give care for the sick
 Fed thousands of hungry people
St. CATHERINE OF SIENA
 “Little Saint” – took care of the sick as early as
7y/o
 “1st Lady with a Lamp”
RISE OF RELIGIOUS NURSING ORDER
 Orders of St. Francis of Assisi
 1st order – founded by St. Francis
 2nd order “the poor Claire” – founded by St. Claire
 3rd “the tertiary order”
 Beguines
 Oblates
 Benedictines
 Ursulites
 Augustinians
DARK PERIOD OF NURSING
 From 17th century – 19th century
 Also called the Period of Reformation until the
American Civil War
 Hospitals were closed
 Nursing were the works of the least desirable
people (criminals, prostitutes, drunkards, slaves,
and opportunists)
 Nurses were uneducated, filthy, harsh, ill-fed,
overworked
 Mass exodus for nurses
 The American Civil War was led by Martin Luther,
the war was a religious upheaval that resulted to
the destruction in the unity of Christians.
 The conflict swept everything connected to
Roman Catholicism in schools, orphanages, and
hospitals
DARK PERIOD OF NURSING
THEODORE FLIEDNER
 (a pastor) reconstituted the Deaconesses and
later be established the School of Nursing at
Kaiserswerth, Germany where Florence
Nightingale had her 1st formal training for 3
months as nurse
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
 Practiced her profession during the Crimean War
 “Lady with a Lamp”
 From a well-known family
 Went to Germany to study
EDUCATIVE PERIOD
Florence Nightingale Era
 Began in June 15, 1860 when Florence
Nightingale School of Nursing opened at St.
Thomas Hospital in London England, where 1st
program for formal education of Nurses began
and contributed growth of Nursing in the US
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED DEVELOPMENT OF
NURSING EDUCATION:
 Social forces
 Trends resulting from war
 Emancipation of women
 Increased educational opportunities
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
 Mother of Modern Nursing
 Lady with the Lamp
 Born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy
 Her SELF-APPOINTED GOAL – to change the profile
of Nursing
 She compiled notes of her visits to hospitals, her
observations of sanitation practices and entered
Deaconesses School of Nursing at Kaiserswerth,
Germany for 3 months.
EDUCATIVE PERIOD
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
 Became the Superintendent of the Establishment
for Gentle Women during the Illness (refers to the
ill governess or instructors of Nursing
 She disapproved restriction on admission of
patient and considered this unchristian and
contrary to health care.
 Upgraded the practice of Nursing and made
Nursing a honorable profession led other nurses in
taking care of the wounded and sick soldiers
during the Crimean War. She was designated as
Superintendent of the Female Establishment of
 English General Hospital in Turkey during the
Crimean War
 She reduced the casualties of war by 42%-2% thru
her effort by improving the practice of sanitation 
techniques and procedure in the military barracks
EDUCATIVE PERIOD
THE CONCEPTS OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE ON
NURSING SCHOOL:
 School of Nursing should be self-supporting not
subject to the whimps of the Hospital.
 Have decent living quarters for students and pay
Nurse instructors
 Correlate theories to practice
 Support Nursing research and promote continuing
education for nurses
 Introduce teaching knowledge that disease
could be eliminated by cleanliness and sanitation
and Florence Nightingale likewise did not
believed in the Germ Theory of Bacteriology.
 Opposed central registry of nurses
 Wrote Notes on Nursing, “What it is and what it is
not.”
 Wrote notes on hospitals
EDUCATIVE PERIOD
OTHER SCHOOLS OF NURSING
 Bellevue Training School for Nurses – New York City
 Alexian Brothers Hospital School of Nursing in US
exclusively for men. It opened in 1348 and it
closed down in 1969.
LINDA RICHARDS – the first graduate nurse in US.
Graduated in September 1, 1873.
2 NURSING ASSOCIATION / ORGANIZATIONS THAT
UPGRADED NURSING PRACTICE IN US:
 American Nurses Association
 National League for Nursing Education
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
 World War II – present
 This refers to the period after World War I and the
changes and development in the trends and
practice of Nursing occurring since 1945 after
World War II.
 Includes scientific and technological
development, social changes occurring after the
war.
Nursing is offered in College and Universities
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
DEVELOPMENT AND TRENDS:
 W.H.O established by U.N to fight diseases by
providing health information, proper nutrition,
living standard, environmental conditions.
 The use of Atomic energy for diagnosis and
treatment.
 Space Medicine and Aerospace Nursing
 Medical equipment and machines for diagnosis
and treatment
 Health related laws
 Primary Health Care – Nurses involvement in CHN
 Utilization of computers
 Technology advances such as development of
disposable equipment and supplies that relieved
the tedious task of Nurses.
 Development of the expanded role of Nurses
CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
FACTORS AFFECTING NURSING TODAY:
 Economics
 Consumer’s Demand
 Family Structure
 Information and Telecommunications
 Legislation
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 Women’s Roles
 Religion
 War
 Societal Attitudes
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 WOMEN’S ROLES
 The role as a wife, mother, daughter, sister has
always been included in the care of their family.
They cared for their infants, members of the family
and members of the community (It could be said
that Nursing have its roots in the home). Has the
will to serve for others (subservient). The care
provided were related to physical maintenance
and comfort. They care given were humanistic,
nurturing comforting and supporting.