8 / 100
6
Historical aspects of nursing development
Development of nursing abroad
The development of nursing is inextricably linked with the development of med-
icine. Nursing is called the oldest art and the youngest profession. The art of caring
for the sick, the injured, the disabled, women in labor, babies, and the elderly has
existed since the advent of human society. More than 2500 years ago, the famous
medical school in Kos was opened, associated with the name of Hippocrates. The
history of nursing, as an independent profession, has a little more than 150 years.
The main role in the development of nursing was played by Florence Nightin-
gale (1820–1910) – an English nurse who devoted her entire life to improving sani-
tary conditions in hospitals, did much to reduce the death rate among the wounded
on the battlefield, and created a system of training nurses in England. Thanks to
her work, nursing has become an independent profession.
In 1860, Florence opened the Nightingale test school for nurses at St. Thomas
‘ hospital in London, using her experience in hospitals, F. Nightingale wrote many
books, articles about the purpose, role and training of nurses, which first outlined
the concept of nursing as a profession other than medicine; created the scientific
basis of nursing, which laid the Foundation for the prevention of diseases, defin-
ing it as «the task of caring for the healthy». She saw the task of caring of the
patient in improving the quality of his life, and attached special importance to
the healing effects of nature, cleanliness, fresh air, silence, and proper nutrition.
In the future, schools in Europe and America were created based on the model of
her school, and teaching there was conducted by nurses themselves. Special atten-
tion was paid to the formation of special nursing knowledge, skills and values. In
1864, in Geneva, Henri Dunant (1828–1910) organized the International Red Cross
society, based on the recommendations of F. Nightingale, set out in the «Notes». In
1912, the League of the International Red Cross established the Florence Nightin-
gale medal as the highest award for people distinguished in saving the lives of the
wounded and sick. every 2 years, 50 outstanding nurses of the world are awarded
this medal. The day of her birth, May 12, in 1971 was officially approved by the In-
ternational Council of nurses as the International Nurses day.
F. Nightingale’s ideas, views and beliefs are widely recognized in many coun-
tries of the world.
In 1886, the world’s first professional nursing organization, the nurses Soci-
ety, was established in the United States of America. In 1960, doctoral scientific
programs in nursing appeared. This was a period when nursing was completely
transformed as an independent science, having equal importance with scientific
medicine and developing in parallel.
From 1955 to 1973, the United States actively developed a systematic approach
to providing nursing care, focused on the needs of the patient. For the first time, the
concepts of «nursing process» and «nursing diagnosis» appeared.