Historical Influences on Nursing

Running head: FOUNDATION OF NURSING 1
Historical Influences on Nursing
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation

FOUNDATION OF NURSING 2
Introduction
Nursing as a profession has existed through history and evolved. This paper will discuss
some of the historical influences on nursing through time in Australia.
Historical Influences on Nursing
The role of nursing by registered nurses has undergone significant changes to deliver better
health care services to Australian citizens (Willis, Reynolds &Keleher, 2016). Some of the
historical key influences that have shaped contemporary healthcare and Australian healthcare are
the introduction of higher education and statutory or legal regulation.
Education
Higher education has impacted the role of registered nurses in the health care system.
Before the introduction of universities in nursing education, nurses were trained in hospital
nursing schools for several years, and their role was as simple as putting bandages on war
victims and checking on young children (Aliakbari et al., 2015). Nursing before then done
without formal education developed by religious leaders. Through various boards, higher
education was put in place where nurses could study for diplomas. The attainment of these
certificates increased the clinical roles of nurses in association with other medical practitioners in
the health care system(Železnik, Blažun, &Kokol, 2017). Nurses who have undertaken higher
education have demonstrated self-esteem and confidence, professional and personal growth,
better decision making, analytical thinking and translation of theory to practice (Hoeve, Jansen
&Roodbol, 2014). The nurses have therefore broadened the clinical skills and knowledge to
perform their roles according to their level of education.
Skills and knowledge acquired after formal education has not only helped nurses to grow
in their profession but also helped them realize their rights. Higher education will, therefore,