Historical Development

of
Public Health Nursing

By. Kailash Nagar

Assist. Prof.
Dept. of Community Health
Dinsha Patel College of Nursing
 Evolution of Public Health Globally:

• The history of public health is derived from

many historical ideas, trial and error, the
development of basic sciences, technology,
and epidemiology.

Early explanations for the occurrence of

disease focused on superstition, myths, and
religion. Primitive peoples believed in natural
spirits that were sometimes mischievous or
vengeful.
S.n Stages Focus Nursing Service Institutional Base
o. Orientation Emphasis (Agencies)

1. Early Home Sick poor Individual Curative Lay & religious

Care (Before orders
mid 1800s)
2. District Sick poor Individual Curative; Voluntary; some
Nursing beginning of government
(1860 to preventive
1900s)

3. Public Health Needy Families Curative; Government; some

Nursing public preventive voluntary
(1900 to prevention
1970)

4. Emergence of Total Population Health Many kinds; some

Community community Promotion; independent
Health illness practice
Nursing prevention
(1970-
present)
 Historical Development of Community Health
and Public Health Nursing
• the World
• Early Home Care Nursing (Before Mid 1800s)
• District Nursing (Mid-1800s to 1900)
• Public Health Nursing (1900 to 1970)
• Community Health Nursing (1970 to the Present)
•  
In India
History of Public Health in India
• Ancient India
• Vedic Period (1400BC - 600BC)
• Post Vedic Period (600 BC- 600AD)
• Moghul Period ( 650 AD)
• During British Rule(1757 to 1947)
• After Independent of India 1947
• Development of Public Health Nursing in India
• The Hippocratic Corpus was an early attempt
to think about diseases, not as punishment
from the gods, but as an imbalance of man
with the environment.
• By considering the possibility that disease was
associated with environmental factors or
imbalances in diet or personal behaviours, the
Corpus also opened up the possibility of
intervening to prevent disease or treat it.
• Starting in 1347, Europe experienced multiple
waves of bubonic plague epidemics that lasted
until the late 1700s. The cause of the plague
was not known.

• In 1665, Hooke devised a compound

microscope and used it to examine and
describe the structure of nature on a
microscopic level, including insects, feathers,
and plants.
In 1754, Scurvy is due to a deficiency in vitamin
C that results in weak connective tissue and
abnormally fragile capillaries that rupture
easily, causing bleeding, anemia, edema,
jaundice, heart failure, and death.

James Lind, a Scottish naval surgeon, suspected

that citrus fruits could prevent it.
• John Snow (Father of Epidemiology ) was a
physician in London who spent several
decades studying cholera in a systematic way.
He is most often credited with solving an
outbreak of cholera that occurred in London in
1854.
• Finally, in late 1800, Louis Pasteur was a French
biologist and chemist who made enormous
contributions to germ theory, to prevention of
food spoilage, and to the control of disease.
• He also discovered that microbes in milk could
be killed by heating to about 130 degrees
Fahrenheit, a process which is now known as
”pasteurization.”
• He discovered that some microorganisms
require oxygen (aerobic organisms), while others
reproduce in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic).
Historical Development of Community
Health Nursing

The modern concept of community health

and welfare is one which has taken many
centuries to evolve. All ancient
civilization particularly Egypt, India and
China developed their own specific team
of medicine.

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• Egypt appeared to have been the first and the
best in the field that had a fully developed
medical system by 3000BC.

• China appeared around 450 BC.

• Indian system of medicine around 200BC

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In modern period changes in development
of medicine and public health under different
stages.

• Empirical health era (1800-1850)

• Basic science era (1850-1900)
• Clinical science era (1900-1950)
• Public health science era (1950-1975)
• Political science era (1975-2000)

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Public Health Science Era (1950-1975)

In this period preventive oriented

approach started. Now it is being called
an era of the community centered
approach.

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 Political Health Science Era (1975-2000)

In this period the involvement of the

community leaders and the members of
the health program was practiced stage by
stage.

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 Early Home Care Stage (before mid
1800s)

1. Focus: Sick poor

2. Nursing orientation: individuals
3. Service: curative
4. Agencies: Lay & religious orders

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 District Nursing (mid 1800-1900s)

1. Focus: Sick poor

2. Nursing orientation: Individuals
3. Service: Curative/preventative
4.Agencies: Voluntary & some government

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 Public Health Nursing (1900-1970)
i. Focus: needy public
ii. Nursing orientation: families
iii.Service: Curative/preventative.
Iv. Agencies: Voluntary & some voluntary

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Community Health Nursing (1970 to present)

i. Focus: total community

ii. Nursing orientation: population
iii.Service: health promotion, illness
prevention
iv.Agencies: many kinds, some independent
practice

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 Development of public health in
indo-Pakistan
1946- Bhore committee-health survey
→ Health as basic human right
→ Preventive importance
→ Health care accessible
→ Community participation
→ Development of primary and secondary
unit
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