HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF NURSING

Yin and Yang is the most universally recognizable symbol for Taoism. The symbol is a circle with one half black and the other half white. Both halves have a spot with the opposite color which represents being part of the other. Yin and Yang are two complementary, interdependent principles or phases alternating in space and time; they are emblems envoking the harmonious interplay of all pairs of opposites in the universe. (Taoism, 2007) Taoist believe yin and yang exist in all aspects of life. Some believe the white represents good and the black represents evil. If there is good there is bad, if there is wealth there is poverty and if there is woman there is man. In other words there is an opposite to everything. The universe flows in harmony without ever stopping. In chapter 42 of the Tao-Te-Ching there is a reference about yin and yang. The Tao is one, from the one come yin and yang, from these two creative energy (chi), from energy, ten thousand things, the forms of all creations, all life embodies yin and embraces yang, through their union achieving harmony. (Tao-Te-Ching, Ch. 51)

Throughout the years there have been various theories and models regarding nursing and healthcare. Doctor Larry Dossey (1982) identified three “Eras” of healthcare as the structure for healthcare in the Western world. Two of which are the Mechanical Model also known as Era I, and the Body/Mind Model known as Era II. Era I began in the 1860’s, the model reflected the view that disease was purely physical in nature and that physical interventions such as medications, surgical procedures, or bloodletting were required to promote healing. Consciousness, thoughts, and beliefs were not considered to be factors in healing but merely side effects of the facets of the

Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, first began to establish nursing as a profession during the Crimean War. Since then, nursing theorists have continued to expand on the thought that patients are made up of more than just the symptoms they present with, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Dr. Larry Dossey and Dorothy Johnson, but none more so than Jean Watson. She developed a theory of human caring that contained several core concepts, these concepts lay forth the ground work for how we, as nurses, should care for a patient. These concepts included transpersonal caring relationships (going beyond ego to higher “spiritual” caring

Florence Nightingale, or as soldiers on the battlefield would call her the “Lady with the Lamp”, was an inspirational women of the nineteenth century that had many aspirations and dreams concerning the care of others. Achieving these dreams by “facilitating the reparative processes of the body by manipulating the patient’s environment” (Potter & Perry 2009, p. 45); Nightingale laid the foundations of modern nursing and gave the country and many others a system that has stood the test and remains timeless. In this, Florence has become one of the most widely known nursing theorist to this day.

Yin and yang are not opposing forces (dualities), but complementary forces, unseen (hidden, feminine) and seen (manifest, masculine), that interact to form a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system. Everything has both yin and yang aspects as light could not be understood if darkness didn't exist, and shadow cannot exist without light.

Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese philosophy that shows the perfect balance between two things. The yin and yang sign is considered an energy which keeps the concept flowing. It is two

Nursing is a profession that has been around in one form or another since the beginning of civilizations. It has moved from an art that was handed down from generation to generation to the formal education and training programs of today. During this evolution, nursing has been influenced by four main themes: the folk, religious, military and servant images (Ellis, 2012, pp. 3-45, 71).

The Yin Yang sign is a common symbol used by the chinese to advertise or show that there is good in the bad, bad in the good. Usually the dark side is referenced to a male and the clear side is referenced to a female. Archetypes are used to describe who people are in life. William Blake uses similar archetype like the Yin Yang symbol in the poems he wrote.

Historically, the nursing practice wasn’t seen as a professional job, but leaders such as Nightingale and Barton paved a path for the nursing practice to continue its growth and become stronger. Simple hand washing provided by Nightingale reduced infections caused by operations while Barton helped to establish the American Red Cross (Pearson, 2015) which to this day continues to provide aid to those in need around the world. Contemporary issues for nursing are typically within the healthcare setting.

It was the twentieth century when two-thousand hospitals were put up in the United States. After the wars ended, there were few nursing jobs because of the large number of nurses. As a result, nursing became an “honorable profession,” which required college degrees. Technological advances were well thought out and processed as nursing began to thrive. People began to study an environment in which the sick healed. Scientists and doctors developed a routine that would help them study the human body more precisely.

Yin and Yang is a Daoist concept used to describe the forces of nature that balance and oppose each other. Yin is the “female” force that represents passivity, negative energy, weakness and darkness, while yang is the “male” force that represents

Throughout history, society has considered women to be the natural caregivers of children, family, and community. Women were naturally thought of as nurses because the act was said to be an extension of their role in the home. They were called in to homes to help deliver babies or as wet nurses to breastfeed. In the 1800’s, women began taking care of soldiers. It was then that Florence Nightingale cared for soldiers in the Crimean War. During this time she revolutionized the role by setting standards of cleanliness and reducing infection. The legacy of nursing continues to be enriched by those who continue to follow the example of nursing pioneers. They refuse to be bound by others’ views

In the world history of nursing, roots can be traced to religion, mythology, and Eastern and Western societies. The ancient Egyptians utilized perhaps the first formal nurses, hiring them to assist in childbirth. It is from these beginnings that today's midwives evolved.

The Yin Yang is one of the primary principles of Taoist teachings. The concept of two forces present everywhere, completely opposite to each other yet balancing and enhancing each other. They cannot be separated because they exist together in comparison, and splitting one apart will only create the other anew. Although one force can take prevalence over the other for a short time, anything that is in a state of imbalance for long will cease to exist. The universe is composed of and held together by the tension of these two forces, and this concept is in Taoist writings on Abstraction. (A2)

According to information gathered from the online source, Taoism or the Tao Religion (Our Ultimate Reality), the Yin and Yang represents two breaths or the chi life force. This Yin life force is the feminine principle of darkness, coolness, and dampness, while the white, the Yang, is the masculine principle of brightness, warmth, and dryness. They are not opposites, not all good, or bad, but both needed to maintain universe stability. Defined through opposition, Taoists believe in the virtues of balance and understanding.