Nursing: Know All About This Hallowed Institution

TRACING THE ROOT OF NURSEimprove the quality and availability of health care, and
Take for instance the word ‘nurse'. A nurse is ato foster the professional development of nurses.
person trained to care for the sick or infirm andAnother organization supporting the profession is the
assist doctors or dentists. One also refers to a nurseNational League for Nursing (NLN); its membership
as a nursemaid. The singular verb form of the wordincludes nurses, persons from other health
‘nurse' means to work as a nurse or to attendprofessions, and interested laypersons. One major
to a sick person. The other verb forms of the termfunction of the NLN is the accreditation of educational
mean feeding or to be fed at the breast; to hold orprograms in nursing. It also offers testing and
to treat carefully. The word also means a fosterconsultation services.
(mother); The term also means to promote theThe International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a
development of something. Yet another meaning isworldwide organization established as a federation of
to harbor a grievance etc.). The root is from thenational nursing organizations. The ANA represents
Latin term pointing to nourish.the United States in this council. In addition to the
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALEabove organizations, a variety of professional groups
British nurse Florence Nightingale established thefocus on particular nursing specialties. The American
foundations of modern nursing with her treatment ofAssociation of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is such an
the sick and injured during the Crimean War of 1853organization.
to 1856. Once back in London after the war, sheHISTORY OF NURSING
founded the Nightingale School and Home for NursesIn earlier centuries, nursing care was usually provided
using money donated in tribute to her services. Theby volunteers who had little or no training—most
school marked the beginning of professional educationcommonly men and women of various religious
in the nursing field. Her book Notes on Nursingorders. During the Crusades, for example, some
became the first definitive textbook for the field.military orders of knights also provided nursing care,
THE ROOT OF SCRUBmost notably the Knights Hospitalers.
The keyword ‘scrub' also has several meanings.Toward the end of the 18th century nursing was
As a verb it refers to the cleaning process especiallyconsidered an unsuitable occupation for "proper"
with a hard brush and water. The medical connotationyoung women, undoubtedly due to the fact that
is different of course. The word scrub is usuallyhospitals in those days were dirty and pestilent places
followed by the subject who uses it, as for instance,where patients usually died. As a result, those who
a surgeon; in this sense the term means theprovided nursing care were commonly persons who
apparatus used by a surgeon to clean and disinfecthad been imprisoned for drunkenness or who could
the hands and arms prior to operating. The colloquialnot find work elsewhere.
meaning is to scrap or cancel. The noun form of theMODERN NURSING
term is to use water to remove impurities, say fromModern nursing began in the mid-19th century with
gases etc. Another noun meaning of the term isthe advent of the Nightingale training schools for
scrubbing or being scrubbed. The root of the word isnurses. In the United States, the Spanish-American
traced to Low German or Dutch.War and, later, World War I established the need for
There is another noun connotation which points to amore nurses in both military and civilian life. As a
brushwood or a stunted forest growth. It also refersresult, nursing schools increased their enrollments, and
to any land covered with this type of shrub. Yetseveral new programs were developed. In 1920 a
another attribute of the term is a small or a dwarfstudy funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and
variety of the scrub pine). The adjective form isknown as the Goldmark Report recommended that
scrubby.schools of nursing be made independent of hospitals
WHAT EXACTLY IS NURSING SCRUB?and that students must no longer be exploited as
Nursing scrub means the different types ofcheap labor. Following the publication of this report,
equipment used in the medical institutions. This articleseveral university schools of nursing were opened.
aims at providing a one-window stop for any personDuring the depression of the 1930s, many nurses
wishing to find anything about nursing scrub.were unemployed, and the number of schools
Significantly, even the web does not have a properdeclined. World War II, however, brought about
answer to the queries pertaining to nursing scrub.another increased demand for nurses. The Cadet
A nursing scrub is a vital means to bring in hygiene inNurse Corps, established in 1943, subsidized nursing
the hospitals. Nursing scrub is used for disinfectingeducation for thousands of young people who
purposes either before or after any operationagreed to engage in nursing for the duration of the
process. The term nursing scrub is a combination ofwar.
two terms, viz., nurse and scrub. Hence, it would beSince the end of World War II, technological
pertinent to first know the various meanings ofadvances in medicine and health have required nurses
these two terms. It would also be helpful to alsoto become knowledgeable about sophisticated
trace the roots of these two terms.equipment, to learn about an increasing number of
MERCANTILE VALUE OF NURSING SCRUBSmedications, and to design nursing care appropriate
In the recent times, various companies have comefor the health care delivery system during a period of
up to manufacture, and market the nursing scrubs.rapid change.
Taking into consideration the immense potentialFORMAL NURSING EDUCATION & NURSING
market for nursing scrubs and its never saturatingSCRUB
prospect, nursing scrub manufacturing and marketingFormal nursing education in the United States had its
have combined to form a viable industry.antecedents in Europe and England. One of the first
SURFING FOR NURSING SCRUBSformal training programs for nurses was begun in
When one surfs the internet for the nursing scrubs,1836 in Kaiserswerth, Germany, by Pastor Theodor
one will definitely get the feel of the huge mercantileFliedner for the Order of Deaconesses. Other religious
impact of this ancillary medical sector. Be it the qualityorders were also providing formalized training for
or the material or the price, one would have tonurses in Europe at that time, but Fliedner's school is
patiently log on to the different sites dealing withnoteworthy for having given the British nursing
nursing scrubs to get the best among them. Ofreformer Florence Nightingale her formal training. Her
course, patience will ultimately pay off. You wouldexperience at Kaiserswerth gave her the impetus to
ultimately lay your hands on the reasonably pricedorganize nursing care on the battlefields of the
quality nursing scrubs.Crimean War and, later, to establish a nurse training
DIFFERENT TYPES OF NURSING SCRUBprogram at Saint Thomas's Hospital in London. In the
Nursing scrubs vary in shape, size, color and material.late 1800s training schools patterned after this model
Nursing scrub can be a simple safety pin and can alsowere established in the United States.
be a pair of scissors or a pair of gloves for thatHUMBLE BEGINNING
matter. The only connecting links among theseOriginally, nurses received little or no classroom
various nursing scrubs are that they are sterilized andpreparation. Most of the training was based on
ready to use.apprenticeship, with older students teaching the
WHERE TO FIND NURSING SCRUByounger ones how to care for patients. All programs
The internet is the ideal place to find for answers towere directed by hospitals, and nursing students
immense queries of mankind. However, withprovided low-cost service to the institutions; upon
reference to nursing scrub, the different sites providegraduation, most of them worked as private-duty
very limited scope. One can, of course, find the listsnurses in patients' homes. Hospital-based programs still
of various sites selling with the nursing scrubs or theirexist today and are known as diploma schools of
prices. But then, one has to keep on constantlynursing. They offer a sound educational background
move form one site to another to seek the aptfor nursing practice in a program that contains both
answer. This becomes rather tedious andtheoretical information and practical experience, but
cumbersome.the diploma they grant is not an academic degree.
HOSPITAL ROOTDIPLOMA NURSING SCHOOLS
Since nursing scrub is used in hospitals, it would nowMost diploma schools, however, are affiliated with a
be necessary to know the meaning of the wordcollege where the nursing students can take courses
‘hospital'. It basically points to an institutionfor academic credit. In recent years, some hospitals
providing medical and surgical treatment and nursinghave applied to their state boards of higher education
care for ill and injured people. Its root is ‘hospice'for permission to award an associate degree in
- a Latin term meaning playing host to somebody.nursing. This trend has sparked debate within the
The noun form ‘hospitality' means friendly andnursing profession over the question of whether a
generous reception and entertainment of guests orhospital can qualify as an institution of higher
strangers. The verb form ‘hospitalize' oreducation. The major focus of diploma education is to
‘hospitalise' or hospitalizing or hospitalising meansprepare nurses to give direct bedside care in
to send or admit a patient to a hospital. The nounhospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional
form is hospitalization.settings. Graduates of these programs are eligible to
WHO EXACTLY IS A SCRUB NURSE?take the licensing examination in the state in which
The scrub nurse performs a vital function in anythey wish to practice. Upon passing, they may legally
operation theatre. The nurse scrub, for instance,practice nursing and are allowed to use the initials RN
readies all operation instruments, ensures the sterility(registered nurse) after their names.
of the surgical field, and anticipates when instrumentsMany diploma schools closed after 1965, when the
will be needed by the surgeon.American Nurses' Association (ANA) published a
The circulating nurse makes sure the operating roomposition paper stating that all nursing education should
is adequately supplied and provides any additionaltake place in institutions of higher learning. The
supplies to the scrub nurse during the operation.organization also recommended two levels of nursing
Depending upon the hospital, surgical assistants,practice: professional and technical; the professional
physician assistants, surgical residents, medicalnurse would have a baccalaureate or higher degree,
students, and nursing students may also attend anthe technical nurse would have an associate degree,
operation.and the technical nurse would work under the direct
PRACTICAL & REGISTERED NURSESsupervision of the professional nurse.
The practical nurse has an education and license veryASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAMS
different from that of the registered nurse. TheAssociate degree nursing programs were introduced
program for practical nurses takes approximately onein the United States in 1952. They are primarily
year and includes classroom work and practicaloffered by community colleges, although a number
training in a hospital. Such programs are usuallycan be found in four-year institutions. It is a two-year
offered through vocational or technical schools, andprogram that strongly emphasizes technical skills
graduates must also take a licensing examination insupported by a basic foundation in biological and
order to practice. The test, however, is differentbehavioral sciences. The associate degree graduate
from that taken by Registered Nurses. After passingalso takes the state licensing examination and can
the examination, these graduates may use the initialspractice nursing using the initials RN. Baccalaureate
LPN (licensed practical nurse) or LVN (licenseddegree programs in nursing are found in colleges and
vocational nurse) after their names. These nursesuniversities throughout the United States. The
practice under the supervision of the registeredprogram takes four years to complete and provides
nurse.a strong base of liberal education in the arts,
DELVING DEEP INTO NURSINGsciences, and humanities. These programs also
Nursing has a broad purview. Nursing, in general, is theemphasize bedside patient care, and provide courses
process of caring for, or nurturing, another individual.in community health nursing, leadership and
More specifically, nursing refers to the functions andmanagement, and nursing research. Graduates take
duties carried out by persons who have had formalthe same licensing examination as other graduates
education and training in the art and science ofand also receive the RN designation.
nursing.MASTER'S & DOCTORAL DEGREES IN
Professional nurses combine many differentNURSING
disciplines, including aspects of biology andMaster's and doctoral degrees in nursing usually
psychology, to promote the restoration andrequire the applicant to be a graduate of an
maintenance of health in their clients.accredited baccalaureate nursing program. The
There are two major categories of nurses: licensedemphasis of graduate programs is primarily on
practical nurses and registered nurses. In recentresearch, advanced clinical practice, and the
years, efforts have been made by severalpreparation of nursing educators and administrators.
professional nursing organizations to designate twoCONCLUSION
categories of registered nurses, technical andAll in all, nursing today is a highly paying and
professional, that basically reflect the educationalprofessional vocation. A well-versed nurse can be the
preparation of the individual.first step to the recuperation of a patient. The care
A HALLOWED ORGANISATIONand expertise that are the hallmarks of a well-trained
The ANA is the professional organization for nurses innurse are the vital points that go a long way in the
the United States of America. Only registered nursestreatment of any individual suffering from any
are admitted to its membership. It is made up ofailment. The psychological backup coupled with the
state and local organizations, and its major purposesmedical knowledge has made this tribe a vital
are to promote high standards of nursing care, tocomponent of the medical industry.