Week 1 Assignment- 415 by Adrian David

Nursing During the Civil War

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 19:59:41 UTC

During the Civil War, numerous epidemics spread around the United States of America, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, smallpox, and malaria. These epidemics during the war demanded more nurses to help those who were sick, but also to help on the front lines of the war when soldiers were injured. It was all women who were providing nursing care during this time period, and they often faced the common challenge of maintaining sanitary conditions, which was often impossible considering the war conditions around them. Unfortunately, there were just about 2,000 nurses total during the Civil War, which left a lot of soldiers and Americans to die.

The image posted above represents the historical foundation of nursing in the Civil War because it depicts the nurses, all women, who were helping soldiers on the front lines during the war. It shows the tent behind them, which was the place where the nurses would treat those who needed help, which was not an ideal setup to provide good care, but they had to make do with the supplies they had.

The historical foundation of nursing in the Civil War influences the nursing care we provide now by showing us that sometimes we have to make do with the supplies we are given. Especially in the ER or during field work, nurses do not have all the ideal supplies needed to provide care, so having to make do with what we are given is our best chance at saving someone's life. Secondly, it influences nurses to work as a team and help one another out when we are able. We are never alone, and in our day-to-day work, we can turn to our coworkers and ask for assistance if we need. Third, it helped to recognize nursing as a profession and give credit where it is due to us as nurses. These three examples shape the work I do as a professional nurse to this day.

Nursing in the 1700's

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 20:45:14 UTC

This image depicts that nursing moved outside the hospital and into private practice. Families that could afford a nurse at home hired one. These were called private-duty nurses, but this was an unstable job to have, as the wealthy would only hire the nurses on a case-by-case basis, instead of having a steady, in-hospital job. This can relate to nursing during the Civil War because the nurses in the 1700s would have to use the supplies that they had in order to treat at the bedside in a family's home.

Nursing in the 1900's

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 20:53:41 UTC

This picture is of nursing in the 1900s. It shows a nursing school class learning about assessments on a patient. The "patient" on the table is another nursing student, acting as a patient for the other nurses to practice assessments on. This image can relate to nursing in the 1700s because, like the nurses in the 1700s, nurses in the 1900s continued doing assessments on all of their patients. The assessment that we as nurses do on each patient has evolved to be more in-depth, but the practice of performing an assessment is key to the practice of nursing. It can also relate to nursing today, as we have nursing school and actual classes, like they did in the 1900s as well.

Nursing Today

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 21:02:27 UTC

This image shows nursing in the last 10 years. It shows students, both male and female, practicing assessments on a dummy. This image can relate to the other images, but also is different in numerous ways. As mentioned before, it shows both male and female, but males weren't as prominent in nursing until more recently. It relates to the image from the 1700s because an assessment is part of the nursing practice to this day. It can relate to nursing in the 1900s because nurses practiced on each other, but in today's time, we practice on either each other or a dummy. Nursing has evolved over time, but the assessment, besides getting more in-depth, has remained the same.

CNN Nursing Article

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 21:14:59 UTC

This article from CNN in 2023 depicts that even after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a crisis in nursing. CNN created a poll asking nurses about their career satisfaction overall. Before the pandemic, it was 85%. Now, after the COVID-19 pandemic, when nurses were asked how satisfied they were with their choice of nursing as a career, the percentage dropped a full 10%. 71% of nurses said that they were satisfied with their work in 2023, but the drop is concerning (CNN, 2023). One of the nurses, who is directly quoted in this CNN article, stated that workplace violence is at an all-time high, and that is what the nursing crisis is. Nurses reported being more stressed on the job, taking a toll on nurses' mental health. Compared to the other information I gathered on this Padlet, nursing wasn't always so harsh on mental health. Back in the 1700s and 1900s, nursing school was perceived to be life-changing and more fun compared to now. Now, the media shows that nurses struggle with mental health in their day-to-day practices.

CNN. (2023, May 1). A crisis in the nursing profession: Survey finds many nurses unhappy. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/health/nurses-unhappy-survey

National Library of Medicine Article About Nursing

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 21:21:57 UTC

This article depicts that nurses are almost always at the forefront of healthcare services, even during challenging or difficult times. It mentions the COVID-19 pandemic and also overcoming technological advancements and patient needs. It mentions that during COVID-19, nurses were at the forefront, battling this new sickness (White & Hill, 2023). On top of overcoming this pandemic themselves, they also had to provide emotional support for their patients and families. It was an overwhelming time for nurses and patients alike. Technological advancements are ever-changing and something that nurses have to adopt and use in their day-to-day practices. Nurses constantly have to update their skills and knowledge with technology in order to practice safe nursing, and it has gotten more complex. Comparing this to the CNN article, it does reflect that with these changes, nurses may have a hard time mentally practicing nursing. Compared with nursing from the Civil War, nursing in the 1700s and 1900s, this article shows that nursing proves to be the first line of healthcare and will continue to remain that way for the upcoming future.

White, M., & Hill, G. (2023, November 29). Special collection editorial: Nursing through times of challenge and adversity. Journal of Research in Nursing, 28(6-7), 394-400. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871231211733

Personal Reflection

adrianndavidd12 — 2025-10-21 21:26:27 UTC

This timeline shows nursing through the years, starting with the Civil War, and going through nursing in the 1700s, 1900s, and then to today's time. I believe that the past nursing practices build on one another and have built nursing to be what it is today. The tool of the assessment, assessing each and every one of our patients, which was depicted in nursing during the Civil War, then continued into the 1700s and then the 1900s, all the way to today, proves that assessment is key in nurses treating our patients effectively. An idea on how I can change the future image of nursing is to continue to hone in on the tool of assessment, and get more in-depth with it. The article I found from the National Library of Medicine mentions technology continuing to advance and how nurses have to adapt and change their practices to fit that proves to be a point that will continue evoling and change the future image of nursing.