Influential Figures in Nursing History

858 Words4 Pages
Influential figures in Nursing

Introduction

Nursing has been around since the dawn of civilization. There have been many influential figures throughout history. Coming from different cultures, time periods and, backgrounds they have helped shaped the history of nursing as known today. These men and women shared a common goal: helping the people in need. Saint Camillus de Lellis and Cecilia Makiwane were two figures that helped shaped nursing as we know it today. Their achievements are still recognized by nurses all over the world.

Saint Camillus de Lellis

Saint Camillus de Lellis was born on May twenty-fifth, 1550 in Bacchianico, Naples. His mother was a noble roman woman named Camilla Copellia, his father Giovanni de Lellis. The men in his family had been soldiers and inherited the way of life of soldiers of the time. Story has it that Camillus’ mother had a dream before giving birth of a boy that had a red cross on his chest and was followed by other children wearing the same cross (Lyons, 1917). As a young man he was not interested in school or studying, like his father he inherited the vices of a soldier and joined the Venetian Army to fight against the Turks with his father. He spent time at the San Giacomo Hospital in Rome due to an open wound in his leg as a patient, servant and soldier

In 1575 after having lost all his possession due to his love of gambling he decides to join the Franciscan Order but was rejected due to his disease. He went back to Giacomo Hospital where he served as a nurse, became administrator and after, bursar of the hospital. Working at the Hospital he saw the way other nurses treated the patients and was not pleased. He finally left the Hospital and with two other men started working at the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Rome. His vision was to work with “men of good will who would consecrate themselves purely

More about Influential Figures in Nursing History

Open Document