Social, Political, and Organizational Factors

Social, Political, And Organizational Factors of Community Health

Reflections on Nursing Pioneers

By all accounts, Florence Nightingale was a definite pioneer, not only in the field of nursing but also in the field of health care in general. She has left a lasting legacy throughout both fields that still resonates strongly approximately 150 years after some of her most innovative work in this particular profession. She was one of the early nursing figures to implement a holistic approach in her care for patients, and her seminal account of her work efforts, Notes on Nursing is filled with salient examples of her insight, wisdom, and practical experience.

One of her most innovative practices involved the sanitizing of patient care facilities and its surroundings. The following quotation explain the impetus for her appraisal of such a need. "Miss Nightingale returned from the Crimea in 1856, three years before her notes were published. There she witnessed the devastating results of bad sanitation. The lack of blankets, clothing, cooking utensils and food contributed to 16,000 deaths from disease (Jones, K., Spinks, M., Birrell, J., & Young, N., 2009, p.3)." This experience changed her approach to sanitization, and made it an utmost priority in her patient care so that the devastating effects of the unsanitary conditions which she witnessed in Crimea would not be repeated in her subsequent nursing duties. Miss Nightingale's pioneering efforts in the realms of ventilation, sanitation and diet were desired by several nations and their governments throughout the war, effectively proving that her approach in these areas was certainly novel for the time (Jones, K., Spinks, M., Birrell, J., & Young, N., 2009).

I believe that Miss Nightingale's innovative efforts regarding sanitation are certainly still applicable in contemporary times. It is a mistake to assume that sanitation is a foregone conclusion in today's healthcare facilities. War-time conditions and underdeveloped nations or groups of people plagued by poverty and poor socio-economic conditions can certainly be affected by disease related to unclean conditions. In these instances, Miss Nightingale's groundbreaking efforts of sanitation are more relevant than ever before, and should be instituted as best as possible.

Hildegard Peplau was another pioneer in the fields of nursing and healthcare. One of her lasting innovations in this profession can be evidenced from her work in and regard for a theoretical perspective of nursing. The following quotation identifies some of the contributions she made in nursing theory. "According to Peplau (1952/1991), nursing involves the therapeutic interaction between two or more individuals motivated to come together by the pursuit of a common goal, the product of which is mutual growth. The common goal provides the incentive for the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the patient (Plummer, M., & Molzahn, A.E., 2009, p. 137)."