Nightingale's Legacy: Old Holistic Insight Supported by New Science.

Nursing today could benefit from building on Florence Nightingale's legacy. The aim of this article is to describe and discuss how her holistic approach to nursing is supported by scientific discoveries within human ecology, psychoneuroimmunology, and communicology. This combination may bridge the gap between current nursing practices and Nightingale's ethos.

El cuidado de la salud del Ejército de los Andes del general San Martín / The health care of the Army of Andes of General San Martín

A través de la revisión de documentos históricos y otras fuentes bibliográficas, y desde la perspectiva de la enfermería, se describen los recursos y prácticas sanitarias con que contaba el equipo de salud que acompañó al cuerpo del Ejército de los Andes al mando del general José de San Martín desde el inicio del cruce de los Andes el 19 de enero en las Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata, hasta finalizada la batalla de Chacabuco, en la Capitanía General de Chile, el 12 de febrero de 1817. Este trabajo nos permite conocer el trabajo de los primeros sanitarios militares que asistieron en el cuidado de los soldados de los ejércitos patrios y contribuir así a difundir la historia de la Medicina Argentina. (AU)

Through the review of historical documents and other bibliographic sources, and from the perspective of nursing, we describe the health resources and practices held by the health team that accompanied the Army of Los Andes under the command of General José de San Martín, from the start of crossing Los Andes on January 19th in the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata, to finish in the battle of Chacabuco, in the General Captaincy of Chile on February 12th, 1817. This work allows us to know the work of the first military health professionals who assisted in the care of the soldiers of the patriotic armies and contribute to spread the history of the Argentine Medicine. (AU)

As relações estabelecidas entre a terapia Reiki e o bem estar subjetivo mediadas pelas representações sociais / The relationship established between Reiki therapy and the subjective well-being mediated by social representations

O objetivo do presente estudo é analisar o impacto da terapia Reiki no bem estar subjetivo e suas representações sociais em uma universidade pública do Rio de Janeiro. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quanti-qualitativa, com abordagem experimental, apoiado na Teoria de Representações Sociais. O grupo estudado foi composto de 60 sujeitos que não tiverem acesso à terapia anteriormente entrevistados antes e depois de três sessões de Reiki. Os dados foram coletados através de quatro instrumentos: questionário de identificação dos sujeitos, questionário de representação social do Reiki, questionário de evocação livre e escala de Bem estar Subjetivo. A análise dos dados foi realizada com estatística descritiva e inferencial com o software SPSS 19, análise estrutural e análise de conteúdo das representações sociais, a partir do software EVOC. Os sujeitos participantes são do sexo feminino (88,33%); nível superior (76,66%); discentes de ensino superior e médio e enfermeiros (48,34%); está empregado (56,67%); renda pessoal inferior a R$ 1.000,00 (41,67%); solteiro (61,67%); vive sozinho (68,33%); tem companheiro fixo (68,33%); sem doença (58,33%); uso de terapia não convencional (63,33%); tem religião (88,33%) e religião católica (33,33%) e evangélica (21,67%). Quanto às representações sociais, a busca do Reiki antes e depois do experimento revelou duas categorias com maior frequência, que são: equilíbrio da saúde mental, antes (35,44%) e depois (50,65%) e equilíbrio da saúde física, antes (16,46%) e depois (27,27%). Quanto à estrutura representacional do Reiki, o possível núcleo central dos dois grupos analisados foi composto pelas palavras energia, relaxamento e tranquilidade, configurando-se como uma dimensão funcional e positiva do Reiki e não apresentando variação da representação antes e depois da realização da terapia. O estudo experimental apresentou como resultados...

The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of Reiki therapy on the subjective well-being of users and their social representations in a public university in Rio de Janeiro. It is a quantitative-qualitative research with experimental approach, with its referential supported on the Theory of Social Representations. The study group was composed of 60 subjects who never had access to therapy, interviewed before and after three sessions of Reiki. The data were collected by means of four instruments: questionnaire for identification of subjects, questionnaire for social representation of Reiki, questionnaire for free evocation and Subjective Well-Being scale. The data analysis was performed with descriptive and inferential statistics with the software SPSS 19; structural analysis and content analysis of social representations from the EVOC software. The participants are female (88.33%); college education (76.66%); students of higher education and high school and nurses (or 48.34%); are employed (56.67%); personal income less than R$ 1,000.00 (41.67%); single (61.67%); lives alone (68.33%); have steady companion (68.33%); without disease (58.33%); use of non-conventional therapy (63.33%); has religion (88.33%) and Catholic religion (33.33%) and evangelical (21.67%). As to the search of Reiki before and after, two categories emerged from six with greater frequency, which are the balance of mental health, before (35.44%) and after (50.65%) and balance of physical health, before (16.46%) and after (27.27%). Regarding the representational structure of Reiki, the possible central nucleus of two groups analyzed was composed by the words energy, relaxation and tranquility, configuring it as a functional dimension and positive Reiki and not showing variation of representation before and after the completion of therapy. The experimental study presented as results in experiment I:..

La filosofía de Patricia Benner y la práctica clínica / Review of Patricia Benner’s philosophy in clinical practice

Con el objetivo de explorar la aplicación de la filosofía de Patricia Benner en el ámbito clínico se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura científica inicialmente con vigencia mínima de 5 años, encontrándose durante este proceso escasa literatura, por lo cual surgió la necesidad de ampliar el período e incluir desde 1984 hasta el 2010. Se encontraron 90 artículos, de los cuales se seleccionaron 52. En el desarrollo del presente artículo se establecen las competencias que requiere el profesional de enfermería durante la práctica clínica, partiendo de los planteamientos de Patricia Benner quien modifica los niveles de adquisición de habilidades de los hermanos Dreyfus con el fin de aplicarlos a enfermeria en el área clínica; adicionalmente se relacionan con los patrones del conocimiento descritos por Barbara Carper y el perfil que debe tener la enfermera(o) que cuida pacientes que por su edad o condición clinica se encuentran en las areas de urgencias, unidad de cuidados intensivos y pediatria (AU)

In order to explore how to apply Patricia Benner’s philosophy on the clinical field, a research was done about the scientific literature, initially with a five year range. However, little material was found on that field and for this reason it was decided to increase the range to a period ranging from 1984 to 2010. 90 articles were found and 52 of them were selected. This article establishes the skills that a professional nurse needs during the clinical practice, based on Patricia Benner´s approach that modified the Dreyfus brothers’ skill acquisition levels in order to apply them to nursery in the clinical area; additionally, it is related to the knowledge patterns described by Barbara Carper and the profile that a nurse must have in order to take care of patients who, either due to their age or clinical condition, are located on the ICU or pediatrics (AU)

A history of massage in nurse training school curricula (1860-1945).

INTRODUCTION: Guided by Florence Nightingale, massage nurse training instruction methods were duplicated in the U.S. nurse training curricula. In the 1880s to 1900s massage training and instruction was delivered by physicians, nurses, or masseurs for many disease conditions. In the 1930s to 1940s, influential nurse authors and educators began to recommend specialization in physiotherapy for nurses. Scientific and pharmacological solutions for symptoms of disease became popular, thus practicing basic nursing comfort measures using massage declined. PURPOSES: To trace roots of massage in the medical literature, the inclusion of massage in U.S. nurse training school curricula, and examine the historical shift from massage as a basic nursing comfort measure to a specialization of physiotherapy. METHOD: Primary text books by physicians, nurses, massage instructors; medical/nursing journals; nursing curriculum guidelines--archival collections of the Center for Historical Nursing Inquiry; Historical Collections at the University of Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences Library; private historical collections; and secondary published books/ articles were used. FINDINGS: Prior to increase in scientific care, use of analgesics, and specialization of physiotherapy departments, the nurse provided basic comfort measures that included massage. Historical research in the use of massage in nursing may help refocus attention on the healing of the mind/body and reinforce the value of compassionate touch and balance in nursing practice today.

An exploration of the nature of caring relationships in the writings of Florence Nightingale.

The purpose of this qualitative, historical field study was to identify the nature and attributes of caring relationships as depicted in the writings of Florence Nightingale. Latent content analysis was the methodology used for the discovery and analysis of words, ideas, and themes from selected Nightingale works. Five themes were identified that represented a caring relationship: attend to, attention to, nurture, competent, and genuine. These themes are congruent with Nightingale's threefold concept of nursing. Watson's carative factors were used to cross-validate the results. The findings of this study indicate that the phenomenon of caring relationships in nursing has been a part of our professional language since Victorian times. Historical research provides a sense of connectedness to nursing's past and contributes to the ongoing education of nurses and further development of the nursing profession.

Expanding our Nightingale horizon: seven recommendations for 21st-century nursing practice.

Today's global health problems may seem insurmountable. Antibiotic-resistant microbes are increasing, and more economic, environmental, and social factors are affecting health. Health care costs keep rising. Hot politics and the chronic global nursing shortages all threaten the future of health care delivery. Also, diseases in many war-torn regions clearly place all humanity's health at risk. How can nurses possibly address these larger "global" challenges? To consider this question--and what nurses might do to contribute solutions--this article looks at the wider horizon of health care problems and how Florence Nightingale faced similar bigger health issues in her time. The health problems of today require renewed vision and the participation of committed citizens who take an active role in the promotion of human health-both locally and globally. By learning more about Nightingale's legacy, nurses actually attain a significant breadth and depth of knowledge and skill to share in these endeavors. Based on a review of Nightingale's responses and insights, seven recommendations are shared for consideration. While continuing the practices we have established, nurses can also create new, innovative, and relevant practice arenas, becoming--like she did in her time--global change agents for the sake of human health. From her broader viewpoint, Nightingale passed her global vision to us in order to extend our own horizons of possibility: remembering who we are, considering what we can do, who we care for, and why.

Florence Nightingale in absentia: nursing and the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

In 1893, Chicago hosted the Columbian Exposition. This event showcased America's social, cultural, and scientific advances and its growing cultural parity with Western Europe. This was the first major exposition in which women played a prominent role. Integral to the fair was a series of Congresses that provided an international platform for discussion of social issues. The Congress on Hospitals, Dispensaries, and Nursing, a section of the International Congress of Charities, Correction, and Philanthropy, particularly focused on health care issues. Nursing leaders from Europe and North America participated. Although Florence Nightingale provided a major paper that was read at the Congress, she was unable to attend the event. The intent of this article is to examine the issues and themes debated at the 1893 Congress and identify how the influence of Nightingale effected these discussions and the development of Western nursing for the next half-century.

Remembering Florence Nightingale's panorama: 21st-century nursing--at a critical crossroads.

Florence Nightingale lived and worked in response to her times--yet also ahead of her time. She insisted on pursuing a career even though her wealthy family could have provided her with a lifetime of leisure. Because she was a woman, this choice to work outside her home was all the more unusual. Nightingale was also a vanguard woman because she chose nursing, a role that was considered the work of desperate, impoverished women who lived on the street like prostitutes. In addition to these unusual choices, Nightingale's career was unique beyond anyone in her time. She was one of the most prolific authors of the 19th century. In addition to being an early role model for nursing, Nightingale was also a leader in several other fields emerging in her time, including social work, statistical analysis, and print journalism. As a global thinker, Nightingale would have loved 21st century. She noted cultural, social, and economic concerns, particularly in relation to health and to the discipline of nursing. She urged nurses to progress in their practice and to think outside their official domains. She responded to the culture of the 19th century by envisioning what could be changed. Working with her talents and available resources, she evolved the health care culture of the 20th century and beyond. She called all of this work "Health-Nursing." As we remember and further study the extraordinary panorama that is our Nightingale legacy, we are creating and shaping our relevant, emerging 21st century nursing practice.