Nursing Fundamentals: Origins, Careers, and Legal/Ethical Aspects

Vocabulary terms covering the origins of nursing, notable historical figures, clinical education, professional roles, and legal and ethical terminology used in nursing practice.

Nurse is derived from the Latin word meaning to

nourish

Hippocrates

Known as the ‘Father of Medicine,’ he emphasized holistic healthcare, including a client's emotions, lifestyles, and spiritual needs.

Maltese cross

A symbol for nursing orders during the Crusades (1096–1291) and a forerunner of nursing school pins worn today.

The Reformation

A period from the 1500s to 1800s known as the ‘Dark ages of nursing’ where most care was provided by prisoners or prostitutes.

Pastor Theodor Fliedner

Established the Kaiserswerth School for Nursing in 1836 as a Lutheran Order of Deaconesses.

Florence Nightingale

A graduate of Kaiserswerth in 1853 known as the ‘lady with the lamp’ who reduced mortality rates in the Crimean War through sanitary conditions.

Nightingale's Definition of Nursing

The proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet.

Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802–1887)

A nurse who recruited volunteers for the Civil War and campaigned against the inhumane treatment of the mentally ill.

Clara Barton (1821–1912)

The founder of the American Red Cross.

Melinda Ann (Linda) Richards (1841–1930)

The first trained nurse in the United States.

Isabel Hampton Robb (1860–1910)

Founder of the American Nurses Association and author of the early textbook, Materia Medica for Nurses.

Mary Adelaide Nutting (1858–1947)

The first nurse to be on university staff and co-founder of the first college-based nursing program at Teachers College of Columbia.

Lillian Wald (1867–1940)

The founder of American public health nursing who convinced New York City schools to have school nurses.

Mary E. Mahoney (1845–1926)

The first African American graduate nurse who promoted fair treatment of minority healthcare workers.

Mary Breckinridge (1881–1965)

A pioneer visiting nurse-midwife to the mountain people of Kentucky who started one of the first midwifery schools in the United States.

Ballard School

The first practical nursing school in the United States, opened by the YWCA in 1892 in Brooklyn, New York.

Smith-Hughes Act

A 1917 act of U.S. Congress passed to promote vocational-technical and public education.

NAPNES

National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, founded in 1941 as the first national organization for practical nursing education.

U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps

Established during World War II, it graduated more than 14,000 volunteer nurses in approximately 2 years.

Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

A Registered Nurse who receives additional training in a specialized field such as pediatrics or maternity.

Nurse Practice Act

The law that defines and regulates the practice of nursing in the United States to protect the public from unqualified workers.

NCLEX

National Council’s Licensure Examination for graduates from an approved nursing program.

Endorsement

A form of agreement between state licensing agencies recognizing professional parity across states.

Reciprocity

Reaching a type of recognition of previous education and experience from state to state for nursing licensure.

Client Advocate

The nursing role of helping clients understand their rights and responsibilities to enable informed consent.

HOSA

An organization designed for students in secondary and postsecondary health occupational programs.

Ethics

Philosophic studies that examine actions, values, and moral principles of human behavior regarding right versus wrong.

Tort

An injury occurring because of another person's intentional or unintentional actions or a failure to act.

Negligence

Harm done to a client as a result of neglecting duties, procedures, or ordinary precautions.

Malpractice

Improper, injurious, or faulty treatment that results in illness or injury.

Assault

the threat or an attempt to do bodily harm, including physical or verbal intimidation.

Battery

Physical contact with another person without that person’s consent.

Informed Consent

The process where tests, treatments, and complications are explained to and signed by the client; usually obtained by a physician.

Libel

A written statement or photograph that is false or damaging to a person's reputation.

Slander

Malicious verbal statements that are false or injurious.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which protects client information and regulates access to medical records.

Good Samaritan Act

A law that protects against liability if care is given within the limits of first aid and in a reasonable and prudent manner during emergencies.

Advance Directives

Legal documents where a person states medical treatment choices or names a surrogate, including living wills and durable power of attorney.

Brain death

Irreversible cessation of all neurological function of the entire brain, including the brain stem.

Euthanasia

An ethical issue in healthcare defined as the act of ending a life to relieve pain or suffering.