History of Community Nursing Matrix Historical Time Period Nursing Role in Community Major Health Issues Partnerships Used Watson’s Theory
Past Period 1
1800-1900 (America’s Colonial Period) In 1800-1900, during America’s colonial period and the new republic, public health committee was concerned about the health and care of individuals in the community; in the early years of 1800, the care for sick people and the ideas of public well-being were influenced by the traditions of British immigrants. That was the motive for establishment of a system to care for sick, poor, aged, mentally ill and dependent patients based on the English model. Using the Law of 1601was a great medical privilege for poor communities, blind individuals, and those who did not have families. At that time, the problems surrounding poor communities included death, birth defects, and many other kinds of sicknesses; that was also the beginning of the industrial developments and mechanizations and population growth, which contributed to increased incidence of disease. In 1856, Florence Nightingale organized hospital nursing practice and nursing education, emphasized the benefits of public health nursing, and highlighted the job of nurses which includes health promotion and disease prevention. (Dieckmann, 2008, p. 21) In the early 1800s, nurses were responsible for providing care at home and mostly focused on ethical improvements rather than illness or disease prevention. The year 1813 was the starting point of providing help and assistance to the poor and sick population. It was also about that time when nurses underwent trainings to care for postpartum mothers and their babies in their homes. While nurses were working hard to provide a better level of care for the communities, limited health knowledge and education were the major barriers for nurses to display their role in the community.