In at least 1000 words, Identify two historical events that transformed nursing education and clinical practice.
Use 2 outside scholarly resources and cite. Ace homework tutors – APA format
The Development of Nursing Education Programs and World War II: Transforming Nursing Practice
Nursing education and clinical practice have evolved significantly over the past two centuries. Two pivotal events that drove major transformations were the establishment of formal nursing education programs in the late 19th century and World War II in the 1940s. These events helped professionalize nursing and expand the scope of nursing practice.
The first nursing education programs emerged in the 1860s in response to Florence Nightingale’s model of nursing during the Crimean War (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). Nightingale established the first nursing school, the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London in 1860. This school introduced the concept of formal nursing education and standardized nursing training (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). In the United States, three pioneering nursing schools opened in 1873 – the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston, the Connecticut Training School at Hartford Hospital, and the New York Training School (O’Lynn & Tranbarger, 2007).
These early nursing education programs helped shift nursing from an apprenticeship model to an academic discipline. They established a curriculum focused on anatomy, physiology, hygiene, and medical nursing (O’Lynn & Tranbarger, 2007). Graduates were seen as more competent and able to provide higher quality care compared to untrained nurses. By the early 20th century, nursing education expanded beyond hospital-based diploma programs to university-level bachelor’s and master’s degree programs (O’Lynn & Tranbarger, 2007). This established nursing as a respected profession and helped standardize nursing practice.
World War II was another pivotal event that transformed nursing education and practice. During the war, there was a massive shortage of nurses to care for the large number of wounded soldiers (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). In response, the Cadet Nurse Corps was established in 1943 to rapidly increase the nursing workforce (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2022). The Cadet Nurse Corps provided government-supported nursing education in exchange for commitment to military or civilian nursing service during the war (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2022).
Over 60,000 nurses graduated through the Cadet Nurse Corps, making a major contribution to the war effort (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2022). Their service expanded nursing’s scope by caring for patients with new types of injuries from modern warfare, like burns (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). It also increased public respect for nursing as a vital profession supporting national security (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). After the war, the G.I. Bill helped many veterans, including nurses, pursue higher education (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). This led to increased numbers of baccalaureate and graduate-prepared nurses and a transition away from hospital diploma programs (McDonald, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online).
In summary, the establishment of formal nursing education programs in the late 19th century and World War II both drove major transformations in nursing. The former helped professionalize nursing through standardized education and training. World War II expanded nursing’s scope of practice through service to wounded soldiers and increased educational opportunities after the war. Together, these pivotal events helped elevate nursing to the respected healthcare profession it is today.
References
McDonald, S. (2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). Florence Nightingale and her era: An introduction to nursing history. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 44(6), 593-594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online.07.006
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2022). Cadet Nurse Corps. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/cadet_nurse_corps.html
