Social Factors That Influence Professional Nursing

Social Factors That Influence Professional Nursing

From the work of heroic figures such as Florence Nightingale in the 1800s to the current trends, the nursing profession has undergone tremendous shifts in science and medicine, influencing the discipline’s course of development and transition. The social factors influencing professional nursing include the historical notes of people like Nightingale, the American Civil War, and the establishment of professional associations, among others (Nunnery, 2019). During the Victorian era, the care of sick people was primarily done by women and men in religious circles. Nightingale just happened to be an aristocratic woman who got stifled by the privilege she experienced and decided to join the nursing program to gain knowledge that would help her take care of wounded British soldiers. The soldiers who participated in the Crimean War suffered horrible conditions inside the British Hospital in Scutari walls. Nightingale decided to take several untrained women to go and try to assist the wounded soldiers. In her career, she was an experienced observer and consequently made several publications and historical notes that contributed to the transition of professional nursing. Other notable figures, such as Mary Eliza and Lillian Wald, also contributed to establishing collegiate nursing schools that promoted the professional training of nurses and later advocated for licensure. Therefore, War and the contribution of nurses in the 19th century ignited the need for professional nursing (Ferrillo, 2020).

The other social factor contributing to the growth of the nursing profession is professional associations. The growth of professional associations influenced the nursing profession by identifying and addressing practice issues through several activities, such as setting health care standards, ensuring professional accountability, and creating a framework that measures patient outcomes. Further, professional associations promote nursing education and advanced practice – particularly paying close attention to the adoption of evidence-based practice – by helping the nurses gain knowledge and access relevant resources and databases (Black, 2019). These nursing associations, such as the American Nurses Association, International Council of Nurses, and the American Public Health Association, also issue certification and develop codes of ethics that guide nurses in decision-making when faced with an ethical dilemma. These are some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of professional nursing.

References

Black, B. (2019). Professional nursing e-book: Concepts & challenges. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Ferrillo, H. (2020). Measuring professional nursing value development in students participating in international service learning: A quasi-experimental study. Nurse education today, 84, 104221.

Nunnery, R. K. (2019). Advancing your career: Concepts of professional nursing. FA Davis.