The history of origin and formation of nursing: european context

Abstract

The article examines the stages of the origin and formation of such an important link in the health care as nursing. On the example of prominent figures (Countess Elizabeth Florence Nayntinhel, Mother Teresa) a brief excursion into the history of nursing in the European context is made. It is well known that the profession of nurses was launched by a nun. But nuns had the possibility to take care of patients at the same time it was extremely difficult, because contact with body was considered the prerogative of married women or prostitutes. Today there are many specialized schools which train qualified medical staff, in the eleventh century, the term «nurse» and «education» were incompatible. At the Western Europe there were created communities for women who had a desire to help physicians to care for patients. These women’ volunteer work in hospitals allow women to serve patients, and during war sick men as well. The task to alleviate the suffering of patients, had always been delegated to woman - guarantor of development and reproduction of human kin. In Northern Europe, the first who began to assist patients were “behinky” - women who spontaneously, without official church approval, gathered in groups to conduct monastic life. They inspired by their example the Tertsiarians (Italy, thirteenth century) related to the Dominicans and the Franciscans. Catherine of Siena, who belonged to the Third Order Dominicans, cared for patients with plague, being exposed to mortal danger, but it was an extraordinary situation which required a truly heroic action. The article shows difficult times, conflict and difficult conditions in which the foundations of modern nursing were formed. There has been noted a big role and a significant contribution of women to the development of medicine in general and nursing in particular.