Reflective Journal

The history of nursing is vast and dynamic. When delving into it there is a lot of information that makes up this web of championing, sorrow, misery, betrayal, victory, etc. Nursing in the 1700's and 1800's was no less tumultuous as I have learned this week.  There was a large discrepancy between American nursing and English nursing. My understanding is that in Europe the class system stood until well into the 1900's which made for difficulties in women being able to be educated and work. Often times nursing was left to women who were uneducated and poor to nurse other poor people armed with only experience of tried and failed ventures. Until Florence Nightingale came along female nurses were not allowed in army hospitals and other than for nuns it was frowned upon for a woman to take care of others outside of her own family. Even while Florence was fighting her way to the top of military control she was being faced with a huge discrimination towards women taking care of...

After having researched nursing before the 17th century, I am eternally grateful to have opportunity to practice and broaden my skill and art in today's society. As a woman I am increasingly aware of the fight and struggle that other women went through so that today I can have the courage to work for the benefit of health with out being accused of being "a lady of the night" or a witch. I also learned about some of the amazing people that set the foundation for nursing as it is today. People who's mission it was to heal people not only in spirit but in body as well and others who made it their ambition to serve their patients as their masters. Some of these people risked life and soul to help their fellow humans. With out these people who in some cases laid down their lives for the right and the privilege to practice nursing I would not be blessed with the tremendous opportunities that I am afforded today. Those people set the bed rock of what nursing is and  can be a...

My  name is Sara Allred and I am an aspiring student who hopes to one day expand my already diverse and complex set of skills and become a Registered Nurse. I still have a lot to do but now that the ball has begun to roll and the forward movement is happening I know that with due diligence I will eventually be reflecting on this time through the eyes of a practicing nurse who has completed the process and moved on to other things. The purpose of this blog is to help me to maintain the forward thrust and keep a hold one why this is important to me and also to keep a record of the progress I have made. Sometimes as a student it is hard to see how far you have come when you look forward and there is still so far to go. With this journal I will be able to keep a hold on my successes and continue on.