Lakhasly

This text traces the history of nursing, highlighting key figures and developments from the early Islamic era to the 19th century.

Early Nursing:

• Islamic Era: Muslim women like Nusaibah Bent Kaab Al Mazeniah and Um Mutawe Al Ansariah played vital roles in Islamic wars, providing medical care to injured soldiers. Nursing emerged as a practical skill within communities, with women leading the way.
• Medieval Europe: Hospitals were established, initially for soldiers and later for the wider population. However, nursing was often seen as a duty for women, particularly within religious orders.

Nursing in the 18th Century:

• Crusader Wars: A period of significant cultural exchange between Europe and the Arab world, leading to the adoption of some Arab medical practices.
• Military Nursing: The rise of military nursing, driven by the need to care for sick soldiers and pilgrims.
• Civilian Nursing: Primarily rooted in religious devotion, with women dedicating themselves to caring for the sick and vulnerable.

Nursing in the 19th Century:

• Early 19th Century: Nursing was largely a domestic responsibility, with mothers providing care for their families. However, a lack of education and training for nurses became a growing concern.
• Mid-19th Century: Women began to embrace nursing as a profession, driven by social change and the rise of women's education.
• Florence Nightingale (1820-1910): A pivotal figure in nursing history, Nightingale revolutionized the field through her pioneering work in the Crimean War. She emphasized the importance of sanitation, hygiene, and scientific nursing practices. Nightingale founded the first formal nursing school in 1860, advocating for professionalized training and ethical principles.

This text emphasizes the evolution of nursing from a domestic and religious duty to a respected profession. It underscores the contributions of women throughout history and celebrates the legacy of Florence Nightingale, whose reforms significantly advanced nursing education and practice.

that was 13 march 624, she wanted to help the injured soldiers in this battle and her role was:

1. 
   

   Encouraging the fighters.

   
   


2. 
   

   Treating wounded fighters.

   
   


3. 
   

   Offering food and water to the fighters.

   
   

After the battle of Badr she decided to keep on fulfilling her message, and in the time of peace she offered her services and established the first medical center inside the prophet mosque (peace on him), then she participated in the battles Uhod and Alkhandak and she proved her intelligence when (Saad Bin Moath) was injured, a sword get into his chest, she didn't take it out of his chest to stop bleeding on the contrary

she kept near to him encouraging him till he died. 2- Nusaibah Bent Kaab Al Mazeniah (Um Emarah):

She played a role in the Islamic wars and it's the same role of that Red Cross association is playing at our time, she participated in Uhod battle helping injured fighters and offering food.

3- Um Senan:

She witnessed khaiber after she asked the prophet to participate and she fighted with the army as a nurse. The prophet told her (I have allowed some of women go with them, god bless you all).

4- Um Mutawe' Al Ansariah:

She was one of the women who got into Islam and shared the prophet his battles treating fighters and once she said (I have been with the prophet in 7 battles, I have prepared food, treated injured fighters, and taking care of the sick people).

5- Um Mutawe Al Aslamiah:

She volunteered to be with the army after the opening of Khaiber and she encouraged women to be nurses.

6- Um Waraka Bent Abdullah Ben Alhareth (the martyr)

When the prophet decided to go to the battle of Badr she told him (will you allow me to go with you to treat the injured fighters and take care of the sick ones that may god give me martyrdom, the prophet told her that god will fulfill her wish).

So we find that the Muslim woman since the ages of Islam tried to learn medicine and nursing. Nursing didn't become as a professional job till hospitals came over (Bimarstan), this is a Persian word compounded of (Bimar) which means a patient, and (Stan) which means the place where we treat people.

Hospitals were with two separated sections one for males and the other for females, each one was prepared with all the equipment needed, and in the Islamic age women were the only persons who worked in nursing and orphanages.

European Revival Period:

The stage of developing medical care began in the 15th and the 16th century.

a. Scientific centers were established.

b. They were excellent in drugs science, medicine, and biology.

c. Universities started to teach medicine, so that there was so many famous doctors, and some of them were:

1. Brasilia's: he said that medicine is not a science but it is an art needs a skill, and in his time there was so many of famous artistic doctors.

2- Sydenham:

a. He assured the necessity of continuously supervising of the patient.

b. He encouraged patients to face sun rays and to look for fresh air and built medical centers in the countryside.

3. William Harvy:

He is the inventor of the greatest blood circulation. Crusaders wars "horsemen period":

7- During crusader wars that took place in the 18th century there was no suitable social condition and no specific background they can depend on, and Europe used to find itself behind the Arab nation and they were amazed by the Arab Islamic culture. Some of the bad conditions at that time were:

• Food was insufficient.

• A weakness in resistance of people towards diseases.

• There was a lack of money and hospitals except hospitals built by the ancient Christians.

Nursing in 18th century:

1- Nurses hadn't got any education or training and they didn't like the work.

2- Nurses were not able to read or write.

3- They were nurses and house keepers.

Military Nursing:

Some of it's features:

a. The purpose of this was to find people who can take care of ill soldiers and they were focusing on pilgrims as they were going to the holy lands.

b. At that period two hospitals were built one to men and the other to women and horsemen were responsible of them.

c. Horsemen built other hospitals over mountains.

d. The usage of hygienic isolation to prevent spreading of plague and other diseases.

e. The usage of pure water.

f. Gathering of sweepings and burying dead people outside of the city.

g. The usage of the white uniform with red croissant sign.

Means of cure in the middle ages:

1. 
   

   The usage of air cups.

   
   


2. 
   

   Sucking by leeches.

   
   


3. 
   

   The usage of a powder from a specific stone soaked in water.

   
   


4. 
   

   The usage of animals horns.

   
   

Civilian Nursing:

It was with religious back ground, there was some women who vowed themselves to take care of patients and this kind of nursing was related to the need of the society, so a group was made with a goal to offer services such as:

a. Taking care of orphans and foundlings.

b. Taking patients to hospitals and looking after them.

The developing of social science and nursing:

During the war with the Germans, many diseases transferred and spread, like plague and typhoid in Europe and England, and the rates of deaths, homeless people, foundlings, and orphans raised up, so the government had to find a solution to these problems, so that it did the following:

a. It activated the idea of visiting patients at their homes.

b. It activated welfare works and activities, so there was many groups serving the society.

Nursing in the Christian period:

At the beginning of the Christian age there was two kinds of hospitals:

a- Heathen: it was related to temples.

b- Military: for soldiers.

The scientific progress was mixed with jugglery and the purpose of hospitals was to keep the life of the soldiers, as they were very important, and they believed that the one who can

recover from his illness he is the only one who has the right to survive and to take care of them, and those who cannot be cured they have no right to have any kind of care.

But we can't say that there was no kind of welfare nursing because this kind of care doesn't depend on any kind of belief and it is related with the person himself.

When instruction of the Christian religion spread patients began to have more care that the religious instructions say: (All human beings are brothers and human should give the best he can to help the others).

This care wasn't especially for slaves but for everybody, every Christian felt that this is his duty and he should do it, as he believes in God, furthermore, there were services women in the church, a part of their duty was to take care of patients. There were three women in the roman period they were from the richest roman families, they were the first of all who secretly volunteered in nursing that this kind of job was dangerous, and these three women were:

1. 
   

   Saint Fabiola.

   
   


2. 
   

   Saint Marcella.

   
   


3. 
   

   Saint Paula.

   
   

Dark ages for nursing:

The period from the year 1600 till the middle of 19th century was considered as the Dark Age for nursing, that in it:

1. 
   

   Many hospitals were closed by an order from the government.

   
   


2. 
   

   Religious women associations got separated except some of them who wanted to keep on working.

   
   


3. 
   

   In this period the interest of human and happiness was neglected.

   
   


4. 
   

   The spirit of dedication in nursing was vanish.

   
   


5. 
   

   It wasn't easy to find any one to work in hospitals (in the latest of 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century) except some people from the lowest classes of the society.

   
   


6. 
   

   Despite all of this it is considered as an important period that it prepared the circumstances for Florence Nightingale to come over with her new principle for nursing and the beginning of nursing as it is known today.

   
   

The 19th century:

Nursing at the beginning of the 19th century:

1. 
   

   Mothers were the responsible person for the real care of the patient.

   
   


2. 
   

   Care was offered at home and if there was no use they go to the doctor.

   
   


3. 
   

   They used fumigator.

   
   


4. 
   

   They used microbiology to keep food.

   
   

Private nursing:

There was a difference between nursing at home and nursing in hospitals, were too poor and homeless people were the bulk.

Males were doing nursing, females worked in delivery section.

Nursing by religious orders (nuns, sisters):

The best services offered in hospitals were by nuns, and his is where the word (sister) came from.

1. 
   

   Nurses weren't educated.

   
   


2. 
   

   The group of peace sisters came over.

   
   

Nursing at the middle of the 19th century:

1. 
   

   The level of nursing began to raise and females began to choose nursing as a job to work in.

   
   


2. 
   

   The middle of the 19th century was the time of prosperity and liberation of women.

   
   


3. 
   

   Women were interested in sewing, music and painting.

   
   


4. 
   

   Women were working in delivery.

   
   


5. 
   

   Many centers were established to teach nursing inside churches, so nursing became a job and a faith.

   
   


6. 
   

   Workers in churches took the responsibility to treat poor people with a help from some persons from the aristocratic class and even some kings and princes were shared them in.

   
   


7. 
   

   Women were treating their relatives and friends.

   
   

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910):She was born on 12 of May

1820 in Florence City in Italy, her parents were English and they were rich. In her childhood (nine years old) she took care of sick animals, she visited poor sick people from her neighbors and she tried to help them, at the age of twenty she asked her parents to go to hospital that she wanted to learn nursing but they opposed because of the conditions at that time. When she was at the age of 24 she decided to work in nursing but her parents rejected and tried to convince her that marriage and social life are the right thing to woman. She knew that marriage would not give her the chance to do what she wanted to, she thought that the best way to

Considered the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (1820- 1910) was influential in developing nursing education, practice, and administration. Her 1859 publication, Notes on Nursing: What It Is and what It Is Not, was intended for all women.

worship god is human help. She visited France, Germany and Italy and visited hospitals in these countries. When she was 30 and in the year 1851 she registered in a course of nursing for 3 months and then she worked with peace sisters group in Paris. When she was 32 her parents lost hope of her getting married and let her to do what she wanted to and gave her 2500 pound each month.

Positions Nightingale worked in:

A. Chief of Noble Women Association in 1851.

B. Chief of nurses in the royal faculty hospital from (1853- 1858).

C. She was called to work during the war in Crimean island in 1854.

D. She made a group of 38 nurse to work in the big hospital there and it was prepared to receive 1700 patient where there were from 4000 to 5000 patient and the conditions of the hospital were very bad as:

1. 
   

   A large number of patients.

   
   


2. 
   

   No cleanness.

   
   


3. 
   

   No nursing uniforms.

   
   


4. 
   

   No food.

   
   

5.Ratio of deaths was 42% and when Florence came it was 14%.

6. There was no nightly nurse.

Nurses were taking their food inside the rooms of the hospitals, she made a kitchen for them and a unit for laundry, also she asked her friends in England to send supports and she was called (the lady of the candle) because she was carrying a small candle during her nightly rounds.

Florence school for nursing:

It was opened in 1860 as the first school teaching nursing, her philosophy in life made the principle of the school, she believed that god want to human a life and development, and health is a very important thing to the soul and body.

Florence believed that:

1. 
   

   Nursing is an interest to a patient and the nurse should work with a group and obey the orders.

   
   


2. 
   

   Nursing is an art, it needs practicing and training.

   
   


3. 
   

   Nursing is a help for others to keep living.

   
   


4. 
   

   She believed that prevention is better than cure.

   
   


5. 
   

   A nurse should have the ability to work.

   
   

Objectives of the school:

1. 
   

   Training the nurses of the hospital.

   
   


2. 
   

   Training nurses so as to train other nurses.

   
   


3. 
   

   Training nurses for the care of poor people.

   
   

Among 1000-2000 applicants a number of 10-15 has been chosen.

The school was distinguished in:

1. 
   

   Chiefs of sections were the responsible of the student girls during the training.

   
   


2. 
   

   Student girls kept special notebooks with them about the experiences they got.

   
   


3. 
   

   Teaching student girls to register all diseases and their development.

   
   


4. 
   

   Time of study was one year.

   
   

Suggestions of Florence to improve nursing services:

1. She refused nurses to do cleaning and she said that nurse

should do nursing only. 2. She recommended making refreshing courses to nurses.

3. She defined nursing "it is the care that makes patient in better condition to recover and cure and we should treat the patient not the illness".

She died in August 1910 at the age of 90.