The Evolution of Nursing Practice: From Florence Nightingale to Modern Healthcare

Abstract

Nursing practice has evolved significantly since it first began with Florence Nightingale and her lamp. This essay will explore current nursing practice in hospitals and healthcare settings, working back in time to examine the events that shaped nursing’s past. It is imperative to understand the developments in nursing practice to appreciate its current roles, duties, and challenges. Foundations of nursing practice will be discussed first, focusing on nursing’s theories and how they shaped modern healthcare. Turning points in history that impacted nursing practice will be considered next, with an emphasis on the introduction of technology and how it changed nursing. The discussions will then conclude by summarizing the key points of nursing’s past and highlighting the implications for the future of nursing (Beck, 2021).

Florence Nightingale’s legacy in nursing will be acknowledged, along with a reflection on the importance of understanding the past in order to navigate the future properly. The evolution of nursing practice from its initiation at the hand of a determined woman to its place today in modern society is examined. It is an important exploration that addresses where nursing is headed and the issues that are faced each day. Foundational theories of nursing practice will be reviewed, detailing how they are changed and updated to better fit the needs of society. For a profession as old and as widely practiced as nursing, it is fascinating to consider how practices vary from setting to setting and person to person.