Historical Nursing Timeline

Historical Development of Nursing Timeline

Nursing has a long historical history. One has to pick a starting point and most start with Florence Nightingale and her influence is seen in theories today. Nursing continues to evolve as nursing becomes a profession out of the science. For any nurse to succeed, it is essential to be able to organize the nursing process by theories and concepts. The influences of other disciplines are reflective in nursing science, such as religion, education, philosophy, psychology, and social sciences. The history will start with Florence Nightingale and go through today's Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring. Each theory and theorist has a beginning with another discipline relating to religion, environment, holistic, and psychology.

Nursing Historical Timeline

Florence Nightingale 1860

Florence Nightingale was from a well-to-do family in the 1800's. Her family was against her taking care of the sick and poor, feeling that this duty was below their family. She was trained for three months and became a nurse. In 1854, she went to Turkey to take care of the wounded from the Crimean War. Among those going, more than 38 other nurses went for Florence to supervise. The war conditions were horrible and the nursing team started cleaning the hospital equipment and floors, removing the sanitary waste to another location. In 1880 Florence theory to change the environment of the individual took the first step in nursing theories. The wounded started healing and Florence was known as modern nursing founder.

Virginia Henderson 1955

The goal for Henderson's Need Theory is that individuals need help throughout the healing process and needs to learn how to care for themselves when discharging home. The individual has to be able to perform self-care at each level, whether well or ill. The nurse assists the individual reach goals along the way. Henderson is known for providing services to the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Services and teaching. Henderson belief that a nurse should take care of the individual in wellness or sickness, and teach the individual to take care of self if possible.

Faye Abdellah 1960

Abdellah's Nursing Theory of Twenty one Nursing Problems believes that nursing is a science and art form. The theory takes nursing from being disease-centered to patient-centered. Abdellah believes that the nurse has to have technical and intellectual skills to perform the nursing assessment. The nurse has to have a willingness to take care of individuals who are ill. The initial setting is for the hospital, but the theory fits all areas of nursing. The theory involves treating the individual's mind, body, and soul, incorporating disciplines of holistic, psychological, physical, and providing total healing of the body. The theory has twenty one steps, ten help to identify the problem with the individual, and eleven assist the nurse to develop a course of treatment for the individual. Accomplishments include becoming the first two star rear admiral and Deputy Surgeon nurse. Nursing continues to explore the patient care concept and use the patient assessment to develop a plan, interaction, assessment, and evaluation for individuals.

Dorothy Johnson 1968

Dorothy Johnson's Behavior System Model is looking at the individual as a system. The system division is an orderly assessment of the stressor, or toxic behavior. Then purposefully looking at assisting the individual assess the