In order to understand the nursing profession today and to have a "sense of identity"(Creasia & Frieberg,2001,p.3), we need to be familiar with the origins of this noble profession. It was during the year 1860, Florence Nightingale the "lady with the lamp" and "queen of nurses" passionately laid the foundation of modern nursing. Her continuous dedication and commitment towards the betterment of humanity and improving the standards of health care paved the way to a dynamic profession. She consistently worked hard to improve the living conditions of the sick and the wounded soldiers by providing skilled nursing care during the Crimean War. This led to the initiation of the "apprentice model" which provided the grounds for skill nursing. She was the founder of the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London, where nursing students would learn about patient care, importance of good hygiene and sanitary conditions. Many nursing leaders such as Dorothy Dix, Clara Bartan, Harriet Tubman, Lillian Wald, etc. played a major role in shaping the nursing profession (Creasia & Frieberg,2001).
One of the most valuable trend that has influenced my nursing practice is nursing advocacy. Florence Nightingale utilized her most effective advocacy skills to promote nursing and prove that it is an integral component of health care. Today, I practice the advocacy skills in many forms. When a patient needs my help to understand the plan of care, to bring attention to the potential medication error, to provide safety to prevent injury or fall, and to get the patient's voice heard.
Another trend that has an impact in the nursing practice is the establishment of the community health nursing. One of the pioneers of Public Health Nursing was Lillian Wald. She closely witnessed the poor and unhygienic conditions of the immigrants and transformed their needs into an opportunity