VIVEKANANDA COLLEGE OF

NURSING

SUBJECT: ADVANCE NURSING PRACTICE

SEMINAR ON
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSION

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

MRS. ANJALI CHATURVEDI GRACE YOUTHAM
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR M.SC 1ST YEAR
VCON VCON

SUBMITTED ON:
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 12/05/2020

INDEX
S.NO CONTENT PAGE
NO.

1. Introduction to nursing history.

2. Pre-historic nursing.

3. Nursing in early civilization.

4. Nursing in early Christian era (1- 500 AD)

5. Nursing in modern era.

6. History of nursing in India.

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GENERAL OBJECTIVE
At the end of my seminar the participants will be able to gain in-depth knowledge about the
history and development of nursing profession.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE
 Introduction to nursing history.
 Pre-historic nursing.
 Nursing in early civilization.
 Nursing in early Christian era (1- 500 AD)
 Nursing in modern era.
 History of nursing in India.

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 INTRODUCTION TO NURSING HISTORY
Nursing is one of the oldest arts and is an essential modern occupation. It began with the need to
provide care and comfort to those suffering from illness and injury. It has been, therefore, as long
as there has been life. Evidences support that nurturing is essential to preserve life. Survival of
human race is an intertwined with development of nursing. Knowledge of general history is
necessary as a basis to understand and interpret the changes which have taken place in nursing.
The roots of medicine and nursing are intertwining and found in mythology, ancient eastern and
western cultures and religions,
Knowledge of the profession's history increases the nurse’s awareness and promotes an
understanding of the social and intellectual origins of the discipline. From its earliest history, the
nursing was a form of community service to protect and preserve the family. Historically men
and women held the role of nurse. In prehistoric period, women were responsible tor gathering
herbs, roots and plants that were used to heal the sick.
PREHISTORIC NURSING
Myths, songs and other findings of the archeologists throw light on prehistoric man's care for the
sick. It was believed that evil spirits cause illness within the body. Body was ill-treated by
starving, beating, administering nauseous substances, beating of drums, magic rites and
ceremonies and by causing sudden fright to get rid of evil spirit. Doctor cum nurse was the magic
man.
NURSING IN EARLY CIVILIZATIONS (ANCIENT TIMES)
In Egypt
Medicine was thought to be Devine in Origin. Temples took place of hospitals and doctor cum
nurse was the priest. High ranking women who became priestesses in temples played role of
nurses. Mothers and daughters nursed sick at home. Sacred books were strictly followed by
priest physicians. Egypt made progress in medicine and nursing, Egypt made progress in
medicine, surgery and nursing though it soon declined for no dissection was permitted.
In Greece
Medicine was closely connected with religion. Apollo, the Sun God, was their God of healing:
Asclepius, the son of Apollo, was the Greek God of medicine. Hygeia, the daughter of Apollo,
for magical cures for their illnesses. Temples were also places for the treatment of sick and priest
physician was in charge of them. Personal cleanliness, exercise and the dietetics were
emphasized.
Hippocrates, in 100 BC, known as Father of Scientific Medicine" separated medicine from
religion for the first time.

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In Rome
There was proper sanitation, drainage and sewage system. Roman noble women cared for the
sick. With the invent of Christianity, deacons and deaconess performed duties of nurses.
In China
There was an advancement in medicine and surgery. They had good knowledge of internal
organs and knew about blood Circulation. They practiced dissections, vaccination and
physiotherapy. The sick were prayed for in halls or healing. Importance was given to cleanliness
and hygiene.
IN INDIA
3000 BC
Ayurvedic system stressed hygiene, sickness prevention, inoculation against smallpox,
sanitation, good ventilation, and kitchen construction of hospitals, medicinal plants cultivation
and suitable building for animals.
700 BC to 600 BC
Nurse attended the patient, cool headed and pleasant in his demeanor, didn't speak ill of anybody,
was strong and attentive to requirements of the sick and strictly followed instructions of
physicians. According to Charakha Sanhita. There should be resourcefulness, devotedness, purity
of mind and body. Attendants of sick should have good behavior and should be distinguished for
purity and cleanliness of habits. Nursing treatments prescribed were baths, enema, emetics,
vaginal and urethral infusions venesection, gargles, massages, rubbing or pressing limbs, etc.
Nurse assisted patient to walk or move about, to make clean beds Nurse should be skilled in
compounding drugs and ever willing to do her work.
226 BC to 250 BC
King Ashoka built monasteries and hospitals for both men and animals. Doctors and midwives
were to be trustworthy and skillful. They had to wear clean clothes, cut short nails. Operations
preceded by religious ceremonies and prayers. Nurses were usually men or old women. Women
cared for sick members in the family. Nursing of patients seemed to have been devoted primarily
to men, great deal of unrewarded work. Qualities expected of nursing attendants were good
behavior, purity, kindness and skill. Ashoka made provision for the education and training of
women for that purpose.
EARLY CHRISTIAN ERA (1-500 AD)

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Religious beliefs played a major role in building attitude towards the sick and mode of caring for
the sick and their sufferings. Christianity believed in rendering services of love to humanity
without any reward. Women assisted clergy in the work of church.
Deaconess
Originated from Greek word diakonia which means 'to minister or to serve in both the material
and spiritual sense. Women who were mature, gave teaching and cared for the sick in homes.
Marriage was not prohibited, and they could live at home. Duties included clerical work in
church, teaching, helping women converts, teaching in missions and visiting the sick. They have
been called the first visiting nurses.
Widows
They assisted deaconess in home visiting- reason from responsibilities at home was a necessity.
Virgins
They were younger women, assisted in caring for church vestments and in giving alarms to poor.
They lived in their own homes, and received no pay except when necessary. Order of virgins was
created when church felt that virginity was essential to purity of life.
Later, widows and virgins niergea pronouns, certain things were common:
1. Wore usual dress of women, later dressed more uniformly.
2. Lived in own houses and many received allotment from church.
All members were enrolled tor church service.
Phoebe was the first deaconess, intelligent, educated who could care tor the sick in their homes.
She can be compared to a modern public health nurse.
Fabiola was the daughter of a great Roman Noble. She converted her palace into hospital, first
Christian hospital in Rome, collected the poor and sick from streets and cared herself, in her
palace.
Paula was the friend of Fabiola, devoted herself for the services of sick. She built hospital for
strangers, pilgrims and travelers and for the sick, constructed monastery in Bethlehem.
Marcella was wealthy woman. She was able to lead a group of high-rank women and induced
them in works of charity.
MEDIEVAL ERA (500 AD-1500 AD)
The period between 500 AD and 1500 AD is generally known as "Middle ages The Roman
Empire broke-up. The seat of the Koman government was shifted from Rome to Constantinople.
The medical schools appeared in Roman times disappeared. The practice of medicine reverted
back to primitive medicine dominated by superstition and dogma. Consequently, there was no
progress in medicine or surgery. The Medieval period is, therefore, called the “Dark Ages of
Medicine” Altruism taught that sincere love for God and a desire to be like him, would be the

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chief motive for one's selfless and sacrificial service to the mankind without hope of reward. It
inspired men and women opened their homes to the sick who were called "Diakonia.
 Monasticism: Monasteries became chief place for education, medicine and nursing.
Monks and nuns worked as doctors and nurses. They were skilled in the use of home
remedies. They got scientific knowledge in care of the sick from books in monasteries.
Monasteries did ground work for the development of universities, gave medical and
nursing care to travelers, poor and needy. Women found freedom to develop ideas and
skills in monasteries. They became wealthier, gained more freedom and political power.
Monasteries when criticized, made rules stricter and many lost interest in the work.
Between 9th and 10th century, monasteries declined.
 Military Nursing Orders: During the middle ages, a religious movement known as the
Crusades, took place. There was mass movement of devoted people who left their homes
under the leadership of soldiers and Knights to Jerusalem to rescue the tomb of Jesus
Christ from the Muslims. In order to render medical and nursing care to the sick and
wounded, two military orders were formed:
1. Order of knights of St John of Jerusalem
2. Order of knights of St Lazarus
The nursing orders brought discipline and unquestioned obedience into nursing. They
rendered excellent nursing service. The traditions of the order of St John live today in the
St John Ambulance Corps. The order of St Lazarus specialized in the care of leprosy
patients. In short, nursing was greatly enriched with and strengthened by these military
orders.
 Mendicant and Secular Nursing Orders: Mendicants were travelling monks. They
gave-up their possessions and lived with the poor. They earned their livelihood by
manual labor or begging. They were all inspired by the religious teachings of Jesus
Christ. St Dominic and St Francis of Assisi were well-known monks, and each had large
number of followers.
The followers of these monks took vows of chastity and obedience. One of the activities was
giving nursing care to the sick. They formed various religious and non-religious orders for
providing nursing care.
MODERN ERA (1500-1850 AD)
Dark Ages in Nursing (1500 AD -1850 AD)
 Renaissance (14th to 16th century): New ideas in art, architecture and literature
developed.
 Reformation (1517): Revolt against feudalism and power of church over non-church
matters.
 Industrial revolution: Change in manufacture of goods from production in homes to
factories. Many left country to settle near factories. Children used to go to work for long
hours to help family in earning livelihood.

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  Unhealthy living conditions: People lived in crowded, unhygienic/unsanitary conditions.
There were illness, poverty and suffering
 Hospitals: Hospitals were needed more than ever. Hospitals were influenced by politics,
Lay people who lacked religious motive, were hired to care for the patients. There was no
isolation of patients. Doctor did most nursing duties like changing sheets, doing dressings
and giving medicines. Servants did bathing, care of excreta.
 Nursing: lt included mostly cleaning and scrubbing. Nurses were poorly-fed, over-
worked and treated badly. Nurses lacked in skills and morals. Women of refinement and
intelligence didn't take-up nursing.

Renowned Nursing Personalities of the Time were:

I. Saint Vincet De Paul (1576-1660 AD): Born in little village of Pony, France, went to
Rome. He educated poor boys, brought food to hungry peasants and attended the sick,
founded confraternity of charity for women (1617): Visiting Nurse Association. He
exhorted wealthy women to seek God through works of charity, comfort of food and care
in sickness to prisoners. He founded night shelters and workshops for idle beggars.
Purposes were to restore the clergy, conduct missions among the poor people, body relief
to the poor and sick while providing spiritual welfare. He was Founder of Daughters of
Charity (1633AD); First organized group to make practice of nursing sick in their homes.
Now it is called sisters of charity.
Training period was 6 months to 1 year and consisted of:
 Exercise of prayer and spiritual life in order to teach poor.
 To attend to needs during illness.
 Dressings of sores of poor
 Serving and cooking
 Moral training for themselves.

II. Elizabeth Fry (1780- 1845 AD): Famous for work among prisoners. Founder of institute
of nursing sisters in 1840. Worked for sick poor. Became interested in terrible conditions-
both physical and moral-that existed in prisons.
III. Florence Nightingale (1820- 1910 AD): The era of modern nursing commences with the
work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimean war. She was born on May I2, 1820. She
belonged to a well-to-do family. She felt that God had called her to a mission of Mercy
and nursing appeared as suitable for her calling. ln 1851, she went to Kaiser Werth,
Germany, for her early nursing training. After leaving Kaiser Werth, she continued to
examine the facilities at hospital, reformatories and charitable institutions in 1853, she
became superintendent of the Hospital tor invalid Gentlewomen in London. During the
Crimean war, Nightingale volunteered to go to Scutari, Turkey, where she organized a
nursing department and devoted her efforts to eliminating sanitation problems in the
wards.

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 Nightingales work make her popular with the men. They called her "The Lady of
the Lamp', in recognition of her Turkish candle lantern, which she carried through the
corridors packed with wounded soldiers. After returning back to England after war, she
established a teaching institution for nurses at St Thomas Hospital and at King's College
Hospital in London. Within a few years after its foundation, the Nightingale School
began receiving requests for nurses to found new schools and hospitals worldwide and
Nightingale's reputation as the founder of modern nursing was assured. During her
career. Nightingale concentrated on army sanitation reform, army hospitals and sanitation
in India and among the poorer classed in England for her efforts, Nightingale received
numerous honors, including the Order of Merit from King Edward VII. Germany's Cross
of Merit and Frances Secours Aux Blesses Militaries. She wrote between l15, 000 and
20,000 letters to friends and distinguished acquaintances. Nightingale was regarded as
pioneer in the graphic display of statistics and was elected as the fellow of the Royal
Statistical Society in 1858. In 1874, an honorary membership in the American Statistical
Association was bestowed on her. Her writings, Notes on Matters Affecting the Health,
Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army (858), Notes on Hospitals
(1858), Notes on nursing (1859), Notes on the Sanitary States of the Army in India
(1871), and Life or Death in India (1874), reflect her continuing concerns about these
issues. She worked into her eighties gathering data about nursing and healthcare. She
died in her sleep at the age of 90 on August 13, 1910 in London.
HISTORY OF NURSING IN INDIA
 1664-Military Nursing was started by East India Company in St George Military Hospital
in Madras.
 1854-Govt. sanctioned training school for midwives.
 1861-Public health nursing school was started.
 1867-5t. Stephens hospital at Delhi was first one to begin training of Indian girls as
nurses
 1871-First School of nursing started in Govt. General Hospital, Madras with 6 months
diploma midwives program.
 1890-1900-Many schools under mission or govt. were started in various parts of India.
 1897-Dr BC Roy did great work in raising the standards of nursing and that of male and
female nurses.
 1908-1NAT formed to uphold dignity and honor of nursing profession.
 1918-1Training schools were started for health visitors and dais at Delhi and Karachi.
 1926-Madras state formed the first registration council to provide basic standards in
education and training.
 1946-First 4-year basic Bachelor Degree program was established at RAK College of
Nursing in Delhi and CMC, Vellore
 1947-After independence, Community Development Programme and expansion of
hospital service created a large demand for nurses, ANM, health visitors, midwives,
nursing tutors and nursing administrators.
 1949-INC was constituted.

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 Miss Andrenwala was appointed as Nursing Advisor to Govt. of India.
 1951- the first course of A.N.M started at St. Mary’s Hospital Taran, Panjab.
 1959-the first master's programme in nursing was started at RAK College of Nursing,
New Delhi.
 1963-School of Nursing in Trivandrum instituted the first 2 years post-certificate
Bachelor Degree program.
 1985-IGNOU, established.
 1986-M Phil at RAK College of nursing, New Delhi, was started.
 1991-The first doctoral programme in nursing was established in institute of nursing
sciences, MV Shetty Memorial College, Mangalore.
 1992-Post-basic programme started under IGNOU.
 2002 onwards-Nursing education flourished in an unprecedented manner throughout
India.
 2005-06 INC started PhD programme (NC Consortium) with the collaboration of Rajiv
Gandhi University with 25 seats.
 2010-BFUHS, Faridkot, started PhD programme.

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 SUMMARY
Introduction to nursing history as Nursing is one of the oldest arts and is an essential modern
occupation, Pre-historic nursing as Myths, songs and other findings of the archeologists throw
light on prehistoric man's care for the sick, Nursing in early civilization, Nursing in early
Christian era (1- 500 AD), Nursing in modern era, History of nursing in India.

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 CONCLUSION
At the end of the seminar I conclude that the history of nursing are the roots of the developing
nursing profession by overcoming the myths that were acting as a restriction in the development
of nursing as a profession. As nursing took a speed in development in the early civilization world
-wide as well as in India.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Navdeep Kaur Brar and HC Rawat, Textbook of Advance Nursing Practice, Jaypee
Publication, 1st Edition 2015.
2. Shebeer. P. Basheer and S. Yaseen Khan, A Concise Textbook of Advance Nursing
Practice, EMMESS Medical Publishers, 1st Edition 2012.
3. http://www.brainkart.com/article/Nursing---Early-Christian-Era_2216/
4. https://www.nursingbuddy.com/2010/04/27/the-development-of-modern-nursing/

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