PNCM 1013: Theoretical Foundations in Nursing I — Historical Perspectives and Definitions (Week 1–2)

Flashcards cover key milestones in nursing history, evolving definitions of nursing and the nurse, foundational education milestones, major theorists, and the shift to contemporary practice.

Who is considered the mother of modern nursing and what did she articulate about nursing as an art and science?

Florence Nightingale; nursing is an art requiring exclusive devotion and preparation, and it is the science of optimizing the patient’s environment to aid recovery (Notes on Nursing, 1859).

What two overarching elements does modern nursing balance today?

The rigor of science with the warmth of human compassion and ethical responsibility.

What is the ICN's definition of nursing as established in 2002?

Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities, sick or well in all settings; includes promotion of health, prevention of illness, care of ill, disabled, and dying people; advocacy, safe environment, research, shaping health policy and health systems management, and education.

What does the Philippine Nursing Act (RA 9173, 2002) require for practice?

Nurses must be licensed by passing the national licensure examination regulated by the PRC; nursing services must utilize the nursing process; administer nursing techniques; establish community linkages; provide health education; supervise and train others; engage in consultation and research.

Name the six environmental factors Nightingale identified as controllable for patient recovery.

Air quality/ventilation; cleanliness/sanitation; adequate light and warmth; noise control; nutrition and hydration; rigorous patient observation.

What did Virginia Henderson contribute to the definition of nursing?

Nursing is the unique function of assisting the individual to perform activities contributing to health or recovery that they would perform unaided if they had the strength, will, or knowledge; emphasizes independence and 14 basic needs.

Who are the four major nursing theorists from the late 20th century and what are their core ideas?

Peplau (interpersonal relations as therapeutic), Orem (self-care deficit), Roy (adaptation model), Watson (caring science).

What is the American Nurses Association's expanded view of nursing?

Nursing involves protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness; facilitation of healing; addressing human responses; health restoration; advocacy; safe environment; research; health policy; education.

What is the ICN’s 1987 definition of a nurse?

A nurse is someone who has completed basic, general nursing education and is licensed or authorized to practice nursing; prepared to engage in full scope of practice, health education, collaboration, supervision of others, and nursing research.

What is the key contribution of Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing (1859) to nursing practice?

Framed nursing as a science of optimizing the patient’s environment to aid recovery and identified controllable environmental factors essential to healing.

What is the significance of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing (1860) at St Thomas’ Hospital?

The world’s first official nursing education program; established formal nursing education and served as a model for global nursing education.

Who established the Kaiserwerth Deaconess School of Nursing and why is it important?

Theodore Fliedner; 1836; provided a model for formal nursing education and influenced Nightingale’s training.

What is the so‑called 'Dark Age' of nursing and its characteristics?

Nursing was a low-status profession, dominated by uneducated women and monastic/charitable caregivers, with poor working conditions and little formal status.

What role did religious orders and the Crusades play in early nursing care?

Religious orders organized care; military religious orders established early ambulances and care for the sick; these efforts laid groundwork for organized nursing.

Name key early civilizations and one nursing/health contribution from each.

Babylonians – Code of Hammurabi with medical fees and patient rights; Egyptians – embalming and anatomy knowledge; Hebrews – Leviticus sanitation and cleanliness; China – Materia Medica; dissection restricted; India – Sushruta and lay nurse roles; Greece – Hippocrates’ ethics and assessment; Romans – shift toward Christian caregiving and early hospitals (Fabiola).

What was the Apprenticeship Period in nursing history and its characteristics?

11th century to 1836; on‑the‑job training under experienced caregivers; no formal school system initially; religious orders played a major role; religious and political conflicts influenced care.

What is the significance of the Kaiserwerth model for nursing education?

A formal nursing training program established in 1836; influenced Nightingale and global nursing education; emphasized discipline, compassion, and knowledge.

What marks the Educative Period in nursing history?

Transition from informal caregiving to formal, educated nursing; led by Nightingale’s reforms and the opening of formal nursing schools worldwide.

Who were some early pioneers in nursing education and their contributions?

Clara Barton – founded the American Red Cross; Linda Richards – first formally trained US nurse and curricular influence; Mary Eliza Mahoney – first African American professional nurse and advocate for diversity; Lavinia Dock – nurse educator and reformer; Isabel Robb – ANA founder and nursing ethics advocate.

What is the lasting legacy of the Educative Period?

Professionalization of nursing with structured education, research, and ethical practice; foundation for future growth and specialization.

What major advances defined the Contemporary Period (post‑World War II) in nursing?

Rapid medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics, EHRs); nursing education moved to colleges/universities; emphasis on evidence‑based practice and research; expansion of advanced practice roles; leadership in policy and quality.

What societal and system factors influence nursing today?

Economics, consumer demand, family structure, information/telecommunications (informatics), legislation and regulation.

How did post‑war changes influence the nurse’s role in the 20th century?

Nurses moved into higher levels of practice, leadership, research, and policy; expanded roles beyond bedside care into community health and systems level care.

What are the two primary ongoing nursing challenges highlighted in the notes?

Maintaining professional status and autonomy; integrating science with compassionate, patient-centered care in complex health systems.

Which period introduced nursing education as a formal discipline and set the stage for modern nursing?

Educative Period (Nightingale era), beginning with Nightingale’s influence and the 1860 founding of the Nightingale School.

What is the significance of nursing research and standardized nomenclature (NANDA‑I, NIC, NOC)?

They established evidence‑based practice and a common language for diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes across nursing practice.

What did Florence Nightingale accomplish during the Crimean War that reshaped nursing?

Led sanitation and hygiene reforms; dramatically reduced soldier mortality; earned the title “Lady with the Lamp.”

What is the symbol of healing mentioned in the ancient civilizations section and its relevance to nursing?

The caduceus; associated with healing and medical practice in ancient Greece and used as a symbol of health care.

What was the role of Fabiola in early Christian caregiving?

Roman matron whose home became one of the first Christian hospitals, illustrating the shift to Christian caregiving ideals.

What is the significance of the 2002 ICN definition in shaping global nursing practice?

Promotes a global, comprehensive view of nursing including advocacy, policy involvement, and management alongside direct care.

What is the key difference between Nightingale’s environmental focus and Henderson’s focus on patient independence?

Nightingale emphasized optimizing the patient’s environment to aid recovery; Henderson emphasized enabling patient independence and self‑care.

What is the global relevance of the nursing definitions across eras?

They show how nursing has evolved from informal, domestic care to a formal, evidence‑based, globally practiced profession with professional standards and education.

How did the 19th and early 20th centuries transform nursing education?

From apprenticeship and informal learning to structured schooling, formal curricula, and university‑level nursing programs; integrated theory with clinical practice.

What role did religious and monastic groups play in early nursing education and practice?

They established organized care through religious orders and charitable institutions, shaping nursing’s early professional pathways and values.

Which two pioneers are recognized for expanding nursing education and public health advocacy in the late 19th–early 20th centuries?

Lavinia Dock and Isabel Robb, who advanced education reform, public health advocacy, and professional organizations (ANA/ICN).