The Power of Nursing: Stories of Influential Nurses Throughout Modern History
Image via the Library of Congress
The need to expand who comes to mind when people think about women in medicine
2020 is the Year of the Nurse, and we are highlighting stories that expand the usual way of thinking when it comes to women leaders in medicine and healthcare. Nurses have played a critical role in medicine throughout history, and they are especially critical to delivering care during a pandemic like we face today. The stories we share will inform our present and shape our future.
When the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized 2020 as the Year of the Nurse, they acknowledged that this year also marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who many recognize as the Founder of Modern Nursing.
Over the span of two centuries, the nursing profession has changed and adapted, retaining its vitality. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of Nightingale, saying “We need to celebrate people like [Florence] who have contributed greatly to humanity.”
By recognizing Florence Nightingale, Ghebreyesus acknowledges the dedication and expertise of nurses in service to others. Doing so is important because while nursing has benefitted all of humanity for much of history, nurses were not always seen or treated as equal members in medicine or society at large.
Historically, nursing has been a profession of women; even today, over 90% of nurses are women. In seeking to honor the contributions of nurses, the Foundation also seeks to raise awareness of unrecognized but powerful ways women historically have influenced medicine.
The Impact of Nursing on Medical Care and Health Policy
Through her wide-ranging observations, the model of nursing dedication that Florence Nightingale exemplified had a tremendous impact on day-to-day patient care and beyond.
When she entered the nursing field in 1844, her wealthy family opposed her decision to take up a vocation that was widely considered to be menial labor. Nevertheless, she was determined to pursue what she felt was her calling. Upon finishing nursing school, Nightingale worked in London hospitals battling cholera outbreaks before being recruited in 1854 to form a corps of nurses to serve understaffed war hospitals in the Crimea, part of the Russian Empire at the time.
She was a nurse during the Crimean War and an advocate for improved sanitation practices and hospital conditions. She created the first scientifically-backed nursing school and set consistent standards for training and patient care. Her thoughtful leadership saved countless patients and influenced larger reforms in healthcare.
Nightingale demonstrates the broad reach that nurses have had on medicine and healthcare, especially during difficult times.
As we have experienced recently during the current pandemic as well as throughout history, nurses are often critical front-line workers when large-scale health issues confront society.
According to a 2018 policy brief by the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses are the key to preventing and containing widespread illnesses, and their role in a pandemic begins even before a disease has had the chance to cause widespread devastation.
Not only are nurses often the first to recognize symptomatic patients, they’re “prepared for the leadership roles in policy decisions of health systems and government agencies, and can prepare for, identify, respond to, and direct recovery efforts from global pandemics that require an informed, internationally coordinated response,” says ANA.
Nurses currently account for more than half of all the world’s health workers. Without the expertise and dedication of nurses, the world would look quite different.
Looking to History to Better the Future
As we continue to celebrate women in nursing during the Year of the Nurse, the Foundation will be sharing a series of posts profiling nurses throughout history whose work had profound impact on the world. These women influenced the course of public health, inspired changes to law, supported social movements, changed major institutions, and empowered marginalized groups of people.
In exploring and sharing the stories of these women, we can see how vital nurses and midwives were and continue to be. Initiatives such as the Nursing Now, a collaboration between the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses, aim to ensure that remains true by giving nurses a greater voice in healthcare policy, recruiting nurses into leadership positions, and encouraging investment in the nursing workforce. This is especially important in today’s world, as we face a global pandemic and work toward economic growth, universal healthcare, and gender equality.
Now more than ever we need to raise awareness of the need to support the nursing field. WHO anticipates a worldwide shortage of 9 million nurses by 2030 unless steps are taken now to change that trajectory. History shows us that when given opportunity and resources, nurses can achieve great results.
President of the International Council of Nurses Annette Kennedy said, “Increasing the public’s understanding of who nurses are, what they do, and the amazing contribution they make to the societies they live in, will help us to ensure that the legacy of 2020 will go on for years in the shape of more and better-supported nurses providing essential care in the communities they serve.”
Florence Nightingale was the first of many influential nurses to change the world. We’re honored to highlight stories of just a few throughout history and look forward to sharing the contributions of the women making history today.
The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the consultation provided by Drs. Cynthia Connolly and Patricia D’Antonio of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing.