One does not need to possess a graduate degree or be a veteran in the nursing field to know that nurses take care of the sick and help people get better. Nursing is both an art and a science that benefits any society greatly and, while the art seems to be a natural gift, the science of nursing has come a long way over the centuries. This paper highlights the history of the nursing profession with major events that shaped field into what is seen today, the relationship between nursing science and the profession itself, nursing theories and the influence of nursing on the social sciences.
The 18th Century welcomed the Industrial Revolution and grounds for significant scientific advancement with the introduction of machinery, mass production and factories as production moved away from farming. With this also came mass migration to cities unprepared for the population increase and resulted in both crowded living and working conditions without sanitary provisions. Leeuwnehoek improved the microscope invented by Galileo which allowed scientist to identify and characterize body cell, strands of bacteria, and myriad biological functions (Leeuwnehoek).
The 19th Century is where many nursing science pioneers emerge. Florence Nightingale was a philanthropist from England known for the care she gave to injured soldiers in the Crimean War (Nightingale). She led a team of women volunteers and was able to mitigate the death rate from infections by using basic soap and water to clean wounds and ensuring clean sheets and bandages were available. She is influential in the nursing profession because until then, women were not seen fit to serve in that capacity. Her initiative and attention to detail helped change the status quo in the profession. Lillian Wald was a nurse and social worker in New York who helped initiate the Visiting Nurse Service of New York in 1893 in New York’s lower east side to immigrant residents and the ideal of caring for others in their home and a...