Nursing in the 1700's and 1800's

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 men who were not their husband. She was told her nurses would become prostitutes to the men and act indecently.  When women did become nurses they were required to follow a strict set of rules many of which directed their conduct inside and outside of work. They were not allowed to go out without permission from their supervisor and they were to attend church and were not to act silly. To say the least, independence of women in the work place has improved immensely.  I can't imagine having to ask my boss for permission to go out after work. 

In America, things were a little more liberal. Female nurses were encouraged because that meant that the men who were able could fight and were not tied down by taking care of the wounded. Women would often take soldiers into their home and create a make shift hospital. Although there wasn't any formal education for nurses for quite some time, and women still were not considered equal, they were allowed to participate in healing with out their moral conduct being called into question at every moment. 

Midwives were another point of interest this week. Midwifery emerged out of necessity and in its beginnings was really nothing more than women who had been through birth helping other women. Women managed all obstetrical needs until the 1700's when surgical approaches began to be developed and there began to be a bigger discrepancy between men and women in the medical field and men began to acquire formal training and women were trained by predecessors and apprenticeships. I found it comical and terrifying that when men were involved in the birthing process they would often cover their patient so they couldn't see anything and perform their duties by touch rather than sight so they wouldn't be indecent. I can't imagine trying to perform a medical procedure by feel alone. It is no wonder mother and child death rates were so high. 

This week I learned a lot of information that I can carry with me in the future. First and most importantly learn to practice by touch so nothing I do seems indecent (I'm kidding). Really though, there were a lot of people who experience terrible circumstance and work conditions which helped develop medical practice to what it is today. Thank goodness.