History of Nursing Timeline 1820 Florence Nightingale

History Of Nursing Timeline

1820 Florence Nightingale birthplace was Florence, Italy. Her family was quite wealthy and her decision to pursue nursing was not well received by her mother and sister. As a young woman religion influenced her decision to serve others in the nursing profession. As a very young woman she believed she was "called by God" into nursing others to health (Bostridge, 2008). Though her family expected Florence to have suitors, and become a wife and mother, many say she remained chaste throughout her life. Florence begin to study science and nursing and was determined to make it her career in answer to the 'call' from God" (Bostridge, 2008). Indeed, she is considered a pioneer of nursing throughout the world as she traveled to many countries training and establishing nursing schools and hospitals (Bostridge, 2008).

1844 Her career officially began in Germany where she studies at the Institution of Deaconesses (Bostridge, 2008). This was a four-month training that was the start of her formal education.

1850 Florence continued her training in Alexandria, Egypt at St. Vincent de Paul (Bostridge, 2008). Another cornerstone of her education was at Daughters of Charity located in Paris.

1854 On her first mission as a nurse, Florence trained 38 nurses who volunteered to travel to Turkey to care for soldiers during the Crimean War (Bostridge, 2008). Many soldiers died there due to illnesses many could be linked to deplorable living conditions. This factor was instrumental in Florence later life where her focus turned to the sanitation of hospitals (Bostridge, 2008). Conducting various studies and records on how sanitation could help to reduce the number of deaths was one of the reports done for the Royal Commission with the army being the subject and recipient of care (Bostridge, 2008).

1857 Another founder, Ellen Ranyard, in the field of nursing combines social and philosophical disciplines related work to reach out to the poor in London (Dingwall, Rafferty, and Webster, 1988) . She was an evangelical by religion that distributed bibles along with providing homemaking training for mothers. Her religious background greatly influenced her devotion and call to this work. Similar to Florence Nightingale. She organized a nursing program in London whereby the trainees were assigned various sections of town and attended to the women in these districts caring for them and their families (Bullough V. & Bullough, B., 1978). Ellen was instrumental in establishing the nursing districts which grew to over 80 by the late 1800s and were well instituted as the 'Ranyard Nurses' for over 25 years, giving care to over 10,000 patients (Bullough V. & Bullough, B., 1978). It wasn't until 1948 that a National Health Service coalesced with the District Nurses in providing care to those in need (Bullough V. & Bullough, B., 1978).

1860 Florence Nightingale writes a book about nursing that is considered the first of its kind and used by those in the field as well as the general public. The book titled Notes on Nursing (Bostridge, 2008).