History of Community Nursing Matrix
Past Period 1:
Historical Time Period:
Colonial period in America was “characterized by human existence” described by Stanhope & Lancaster (2012, p23).
Nursing Role in Community:
Caring for the infirmed was undertaken by the female head of the house, which meant there was no formal training caring for sick members of the household. It was also the responsibility of the female head of the household to grow and gather herbs used for healing.
Major Health Issues:
Yellow fever, small pox, cholera, typhoid, typhus, TB, and malaria. Poor sanitation systems, and poor control over communicable disease that entered the country through seaports made it difficult to organize and support any public health effort that could curtail the spread of sickness (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012).
Partnerships Used:
The colonist relied on British traditions to establish a system of caring for the sick. The Elizabeth Poor Laws “guaranteed medical care for the poor, blind, and lame. Each county or township was responsible to care for their residents” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p.24). As time evolved and the American Revolution was over, the public began to understand and support the need for government sponsored boards of health and they were established. The sponsored boards collected vital statisitics, sanitation improvements, and control of communicable diseases (Stanhope &Lancaster, 2012).
During the colonial period, it seemed as though it started out as a community based nursing setting that focused on delivering care for the individual in the family setting, but as time evolved, it moved toward a public health approach. As the settlers became more organized and understood the significance of better sanitation practices, better water, sewer systems, burying the dead, and planting vegetables –they were able to focus on