ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To reflect on the role of Brazilian nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering as a historical landmark the bicentenary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, a precursor of modern nursing, celebrated in 2020. METHOD: Theoretical-reflective study, based on Florence Nightingale's environmental theory through a literature review, carried out in international and national virtual news from different sources and added to the authors' experiences related to the pandemic. RESULTS: It was possible to identify the weaknesses experienced by nurse practitioners as to contagion by COVID-19, the routine of exposure to risks, the lack of adequate protection in many scenarios, the high rates of illness, and also deaths that occurred in this profession. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory describes the importance of the adequacy of the work environment. It also emphasizes the value of this professional for contemporary nursing and the redefinition of this professional category during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , History of Nursing , Brazil/epidemiology , History, 19th Century , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , WorkplaceSubject(s)
COVID-19/nursing , Nursing Care/organization & administration , Nursing Care/statistics & numerical data , Nursing Staff, Hospital/supply & distribution , Nursing Staff, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Patient Safety/statistics & numerical data , Quality of Health Care/organization & administration , Adult , Anniversaries and Special Events , Female , History of Nursing , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nurse's RoleABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Since its founding, professional nursing has applied an environmental lens to healing. METHODS: This CANS 2020 Keynote article describes the history of nursing environmental science and nurses important contributions to the US Environmental Justice Movement. Starting with Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, which established Environmental Theory, the paper introduces key figures throughout nursing history who have studied and advocated for environmental health and justice. FINDINGS: The paper emphasizes that nursing has always been about environmental health and that, regardless of specialty or practice setting, all nurses are called to incorporate environmental science and translation into their research and practice. CONCLUSION: This call to action is especially critical today in the context of urgent issues like climate change, environmental racism and racial health disparities, emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19, and chemical exposures in the home and workplace (among others).
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Environmental Health/history , Environmental Science/history , History of Nursing , Health Status Disparities , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , HumansSubject(s)
COVID-19/nursing , History of Nursing , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , History, 21st Century , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Reflect on the influence of Florence Nightingale's teachings to face the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions for the future of the profession. METHODS: Descriptive reflective study, carried out between May and July 2020, through narrative review on the theme and debates between the authors. RESULTS: The findings are divided into two chapters, namely: Environmental Theory and the teachings of Florence Nightingale in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic; and Florence Nightingale: legacy, present and perspectives. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Florence Nightingale's studies with the Environmentalist Theory and her teachings as a nurse are still valid, even after almost two centuries since her prelude, and should continue to serve as a foundation for the consolidation of the nursing profession.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , History of Nursing , History, 19th Century , Humans , Nursing , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the 121st anniversary year of the birth of Florence Nightingale, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is both interesting and salient to be reminded of the foundational work of this famous woman who began modern nursing. Her work in nursing care and nursing, health and public policy has been a continuing strong foundation to practices in societies around the world. METHODS: In this short communication about historical research, various aspects of Florence's life and work are described, as well as the locations, memorials and museum significant to our remembrance of her. RESULTS: A particular focus of this paper is the description of a larger but little-known medicine chest located at the College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, SK, Canada, and attributed as belonging to Florence. CONCLUSION: Best known to this point in time is a smaller medicine chest at the Florence Nightingale Museum in London.
Subject(s)
History of Nursing , Medicine Chests/history , History, 19th Century , Humans , Italy , London , Saskatchewan , TurkeyABSTRACT
The year 2020 is an historic year on many accounts. It was to be an international year of celebration for nurses and midwives but turned into a year of turmoil with the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and a call for justice and social awareness. Nurses were in the forefront and demonstrated courage and heroic efforts in the face of devastating events. Advanced practice nurses need to document their stories. This becomes our legacy. In an effort to preserve our legacy, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners history committee is in the process of identifying the existing historical documents for preservation.
Subject(s)
Advanced Practice Nursing/history , Anniversaries and Special Events , Nurse Practitioners/history , History of Nursing , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , United StatesABSTRACT
Just as people living in the early 1900s experienced the horrors of World War I followed by the Spanish influenza epidemic, those of us surviving the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic will have our lives forever changed. Both pandemics defied the capabilities of prevailing healthcare and public health. Since there was no known cure in either pandemic, much depended on nurses to fight the battle against the viruses. History has shown pandemics are occurring more frequently and are unpredictable in timing and severity. Therefore, we need to place focus on the valuable lessons from the century's two pandemics to prepare for future global disease outbreaks. Lessons that will benefit nursing are the importance of continual preparation and planning, care coordination across communities and healthcare systems, and ensuring nurses have the necessary resources and training to perform their roles in an effective and safe manner.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919/statistics & numerical data , COVID-19/epidemiology , Correlation of Data , History of Nursing , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Nurses/psychology , Nurses/supply & distribution , Pandemics/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
Before Florence Nightingale, nurses lacked special skills and training. The nursing mainly relied on nurse's religious passion and feelings to carry out nursing activities, and some vulgar and ignorant women took care of the job. Nightingale, who well-educated, born in an aristocratic family, devoted herself to nursing career despite the opposition of her family. She travelled around the world to investigate the hospital and nursing status. Nightingale practiced her concept of nursing work in the Crimean war. After the investigation of the wounded soldiers, she pointed out that the high mortality rate of British soldiers was related to poor nursing. She put forward suggestions to strengthen military nursing education; then she established modern nursing education institutions and created a new nursing education model, which was the beginning of modern nursing career.
Subject(s)
Anniversaries and Special Events , Crimean War , History of Nursing , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections , History, 19th Century , Humans , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
This paper is part of Forum COVID-19: Perspectives in the Humanities and Social Sciences. In the current COVID 19 pandemic, the importance of professional nursing is widely recognized. In German-speaking and international research, the history of nursing during pandemics and epidemics is largely unwritten. This paper gives an overview of questions and results in this research area and discusses the potential of a pandemic nursing history.