History of Community Nursing

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History of Community Nursing
NUR/405
February 6, 2012
Denise Wilson

History of Community Nursing
Stanhope (2008) states, there is a core of knowledge known as “public health” that forms the foundation for population-based community and public health nursing. This core has historically included epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health services administration, and social and behavioral sciences (p. 1). This paper will define three historical periods relating major health issues, clarify public health and community health nursing during these time periods, and identify any community health partnerships established for each time period. Jean Watson’s theory of caring will provide an element of relevance to the specific time period.

1800-1820
The 1800’s were a time of exploration, political upheaval, and war. The new world was beginning, but at a cost. America had elected Thomas Jefferson in 1801 in a presidential tie with Aaron Burr who became vice president which caused a political stir. The War of 1812 began to secure America from Great Britain’s plan to overtake the Nation. Mining was big industry and Lewis and Clark set out for an exploration adventure to the west.

Nursing Role in Community
The need for nursing care in communities quickly became evident and many urban setting established home care nursing. According to Stanhope (2008), during the early 1800’s experiments in providing nursing care at home focused more on moral elevation and less on illness intervention. Charitable assistance societies of the upper class assisted the poor and sick, Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity began visiting nurses in 1854, and lay people were taught how to care for mother and baby in many communities (p. 25). Hospitals in the early 1800s were unsanitary and staffed by poorly trained laborers.

Major Health Issues
Outbreaks of
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