How nursing began and how its care and systems grew through the ages
A History of Nursing, Volume 1 surveys the long story of nursing from ancient times to the early modern period. It traces how care for the sick evolved as society, medicine, and institutions changed, and how the work of nurses reflected shifting ideas about education, charity, and public health. The book combines narrative with documentary detail, including discussions of hospitals, religious and secular orders, and the people who shaped early nursing practice.
This edition centers on the roots of nursing and the development of nursing systems before modern schools. It covers the earliest forms of care in family life, the role of women in hospitals, and the rise of hospital administration, with attention to notable institutions like major French and Italian hospitals, and the emergence of organized nursing staff. Rich in illustrations and historical context, it seeks to connect the past to later developments in nursing education and professional practice.
- Explains how nursing emerged from family care, then expanded within ancient and medieval societies.
- Shows how hospitals, religious orders, and lay groups organized nurses and their duties.
- Describes changes in uniforms, roles, and discipline that shaped early nursing work.
- Highlights key hospitals and movements that influenced nursing’s evolution.
Ideal for readers of medical history, social history, and the origins of modern nursing.