The Work Of Dock And Wald Raised Public Health

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.

One way that nurses can address the current inadequacies in access to health care is by educating the public regarding the need for everyone to have equal access. The public should be advised that when citizens go without care, there can be public health implications, such as resurgences in diseases like tuberculosis (White & Atmar, 2002). Nurses should educate the public on the cost savings that can result by providing a national health insurance program for everyone because of a decrease in administrative costs. Finally, people should be made aware that

William Beveridge was a man whom was asked by government to write a report on the best and most effective ways to help those on low incomes. This was after the Second World War when people felt they needed rewarding, which the government responded to by promising to create a more equal society. In Beveridge’s report in December 1942, he proposed that all people of a working age should contribute, which would benefit people who were sick, unemployed, retired, or widowed.

Community health nurses face many concerns that can create environmental and global health issues. In history, humans have battled many health epidemics, from as early as the black plague, to polio, and more recent issues of measles, small pox, and HIV/AIDS. Many vaccines have been created and billions of lives have been saved, but there is still many unimmunized. Communities worldwide are at risk for many communicable diseases and should be prepared and knowledgeable about their community’s risks, protocols, and how to keep their community members safe.

Florence Nightingale, born in 1820, revolutionized nursing as it is today. Throughout her time working with the wounded soldiers during the Crimean War, she noted that more soldiers were dying of infections than from wounds. Therefore, she worked to ensure sanitation as well as sufficient health and healing practices amongst her patients. From care to prevention, Nightingale’s practices were able to set the foundation for nurses today. Nightingale distinguished that a healthy environment is essential to one’s health and thus her tenets of ventilation, cleanliness, light, as well as nutrition set the bases of the City of Toronto’s tuberculosis program for the under-housed, homeless, and the correctional population.

This peaceful setting masks the legacy of the untold story of thousands of Pennsylvania civil servants who dedicated their professional careers over several generations to treat those stricken with this illness. One of the most noteworthy was a nurse by the name of Eliza C. Allison. She served in the institution known commonly as the “Cresson San” from its opening in 1912 to her termination in 1935.

The roal of public health nursing is to promote and protect the health of the population. This proactive approach does not limit their scope of practice to health concerns of individuals but also to developing and implementing programs and policies that help enhance the health of populations. The role of public health nurses is to focus on population centered care with the outcome of promoting health, preventing disability and disease, and improving the quality of life. An effective public health nurse is able to evaluate assessment data to define population diagnoses and set priorities accordingly. They can also serve as advocates for individuals and families in the population to develop policies, access resources, and protect their

Lillian Wald was the first public health nurse, and the founder of The Henry Street Settlement and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Wald not only provided medical attention to those that needed it the most (poor immigrants) but provided preventative care teaching the immigrants about health and hygiene and about basic nursing care. In addition, Wald became an advocate for women and children, “helping with the establishment of the United States Children’s Bureau, National Child Labor Committee, and the National Women’s Trade Union League.” (Harkness and DeMarco, 2015, p.16). She was the woman who set the standards for the field of public nursing and “made health care her first priority” (Feld, n.d.).

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

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.

During her time as a visiting nurse, Wald became more aware of community needs for health care. It began as seeing a need for nurses in public schools, and turned into the first public health nursing system with assistance from the New York Board of Health (National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2011, para. 2). Wald then helped start the National Organization of Public Health, and was the first president (National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2011, para. 2). As a pioneer in public health nursing, Wald was able to “create models of public health and social service programs” (Henry Street Settlement, para. 2). She made great contributions to the nursing profession.

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

Public health strategies and interventions have changed drastically over time. Bloodletting is one of the most ancient forms of medical interventions. It originated in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece, persisting through the Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment periods (PBS). Doctors used the bloodletting method for every ailment imaginable; from pneumonia, bone fractures, and even wounds, bloodletting was as trusted and popular as aspirin is today.

In 1873 there were four hospitals with a school of nursing with in them. These hospitals were the New England Hospital for Women and Children; Massachusetts General Hospital; New Haven Hospital; and Bellevue Hospital.( 1996.Nursing. Dictionary of American History) The number of hospitals and hospital with nursing schools inside of them increased, because the hospitals soon found that the mortality and morbidity decreased with improved nursing care.( Nursing. Dictionary of American History) The shaping and molding of the nursing profession made the hospitals that we know today to be possible. In the 1860’s and 1870’s more Americans went to the hospitals for treatment because of the emphasis on hospital cleanliness, and the professional nurse.( Kellison, Kimberly. 1997-1998) Mary Eliza Mahoney became the first black graduate nurse in 1879.( Hine, Darlene,C., 1996) From 1893 to 1900 the number of nursing schools inside hospitals increased 225 to 432, and the number of hospitals increased from 178 to over 4000.( 1996.Nursing. Dictionary of American History) Nursing became considerably more popular and “by 1920, 54,953 women were in nursing

This significance of public health nurses had made a major impact on history. They help shift relatively unsanitary living environments, diseases state awareness, health education, school programs for children from little or no existence to full swing participation by the community. Public health nurses in the Henry Street Settlement initiated awareness around the country, bringing rise to thousands more clinics spreading their mission (Buhler-Wilkerson). Despite the challenges the nurses faced, they carried on to care for the sick when the sick could not get care. As time went, it became so the visiting nurses were in demand as chronically ill patients filled the hospitals, leaving less space for critically ill and emergent cases.