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Evolution of Nursing

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Submitted By heartaflame81
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In reading in interactive timeline, it allows the reader to discover the evolution of nursing. Although history itself can be seen as a series of events that lead to the present moment, it is important to realize the impact that different people brought to the field of nursing. Appreciating the history of nursing allows the reader to recognize the job and function of nursing not only in the United States, but throughout the world (Grand Canyon University, n.d.). Understanding the history of nursing allows for a greater understanding of the issues that the pioneers in nursing faced, some of which are still relevant in today’s culture.
Several trends may be seen in the interactive timeline. Nursing was originally a male dominated occupation that was fulfilled by religious organizations and military professionals (Grand Canyon University, n.d.). St. Benedict, St. Vincent DePaul, and the Alexian Brothers cared for the destitute and the dying. Their focus was in caring for the abandoned and poor (Grand Canyon University, n.d.). These men set the stage for the future of nursing. While the profession of nursing was still in its infancy, it became a career fulfilled primarily by men in the lowest class.
As nursing progressed, figures such as Harriet Patience Dame, Walt Whitman, Clara Barton, and Florence Nightingale emerged as the ravages of the American Civil War broke out. The field of nursing largely centered on the care of war victims and in improving sanitary conditions of military hospitals (Grand Canyon University, n.d.). The presence of women in the field of nursing grew with these frontier figures.
With the influence of female nurses during the Civil War, nursing evolved to become a female dominated profession. Women such as Linda Richards, Henrietta Edwards and Lavinia Lloyd Dock worked tirelessly not only to define the role of nursing, but also

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