Nursing Education History

INTRODUCTION
The history of nursing stems off from a religious and military background. These two separate fields are majorly responsible for its development as a full-fledge profession. A brief reflection on the past, it was religious practices that encouraged nuns and monks to tend to the sick and injured, as it was considered a noble thing to do. The need to care for the sick and injured was particularly felt during times of war – with wounded soldiers and epidemic outbreaks. It was then that the need for experts in the nursing field was intensely felt and that is how the focus gradually shifted towards nursing as a proper profession or line of work. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that, for the first-time nursing education was defined

This when nursing education attained its formal status with Florence Nightingale establishing the first nursing school in 1860 in London at the St. Thomas hospital. This was after her experience in the Crimean War (military background) which led to her professionalising nursing roles. She devised a complete nursing curriculum on nursing practices through her book Notes on Nursing. Even noble ladies from prestigious backgrounds registered at her school which offered a year-long training programme. Nursing was once again a noble

Nursing education became revolutionised and became recognised at tertiary level. Nursing education migrated from nursing schools and colleges offering certificates and diplomas to universities. At first, the course and training were considered to be a part of the School of Medicine but later became recognised as an independent speciality or department. Baccalaureate courses were then later implemented in universities, Minnesota School of Nursing in America being the first. Meanwhile in South Africa, the University of Witwatersrand becomes the first university to offer diploma course in nursing despite facing a lot of controversy from some members of the medical community who still linked nursing to women´s service work.
Diversity is noted in the history of nursing. African American citizens also being afforded opportunities to train as nurses though at different institutes from the white citizens. Mary Eliza Mahoney is recognised as the black nurse to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Master’s and doctorate degrees are also implemented in universities with Estelle Osbourne being the first to obtain a master’s degree. Cecilia Makiwane also becomes the first black registered nurse in South Africa while Professor Philda Nzimande becomes the first black South African nurse to obtain a master’s degree and amongst a few to obtain a