1st test Flashcards
(11 cards)
Hinduism and medicine
emphasized the need for good hygiene, and written records would soon chronicle a number of surgical procedures. This was also the first culture to document medical treatment outside the home
Egyptians and medicine
they believed that all disease was caused by evil spirits and punishing gods was changing
Hebrews and medicine
had good knowledge of anatomy and physiology, especially the circulatory system. Physician-priests routinely performed operations such as cesarean deliveries (named later by the Romans), amputations, and circumcisions. They also enforced rules of purification, performed sacrifices, and conducted rituals related to food preparation.
Ancient Greek and medicine
A culture focused on appeasing the gods, and its medical practice was no exception. They performed sacrifices to appease the gods and practiced abortion and infanticide in an attempt to control the population. Hippocrates was called “the father of medicine
Romans and medicine
developed quite an advanced system of medicine and a pharmacology that included more than 600 medications derived from herbs and plants. Their physicians were eventually able to distinguish among various conditions and performed many surgeries. They also did physical therapy for athletes; diagnosed symptoms of infections; identified job-related dangers of lead, mercury, and asbestos; and published medical textbooks.
The rise of Christianity, starting from AD 30 and Medicine
brought with it a strong belief in the sanctity of all human life. Christians considered practices such as human sacrifice, infanticide, and abortion—which had been common in Roman society—to be murder. The term nurse is thought to have originated in this period, from the Latin word nutrire, meaning to nourish, nurture, or suckle a child.
Medicine in The Dark Ages
from roughly AD 500 to 1000, were marked by widespread poverty, illness, and death. Plagues and other diseases such as smallpox, leprosy, and diphtheria ravaged the known world and killed large segments of populations. Health care at this time was almost nonexistent. The biggest contribution to health care in this period may have been the insistence on cleanliness and hygiene, which lessened the spread of infections. Medieval nurses did not have any formal schooling but learned through apprenticeships with older monks or nuns.
Medicine in the Renaissance in Europe
tarting in about 1350, nursing emerged in a recognizable form, although it did not grow steadily as a profession during this period. Inventions from this time include the microscope and thermometer, but the use of more modern diagnoses and treatments was viewed with skepticism. the Protestant Reformation in 1517 had the greatest effect on the health care of the period. In Catholic nation-states, including Italy, France, and Spain, health care remained generally unchanged from that of the Middle Ages, although the number of male nursing orders gradually decreased. By 1500, the majority of health care was provided by female religious orders.
Gender role under Protestant leadership
The role of women was reduced under Protestant leadership, and the male nurse all but disappeared. Secular nursing orders gradually took over the duties of the many substandard hospitals that had been established in metropolitan areas. The most famous of these was the Sisters of Charity, established in 1600. These orders were the first to establish a nursing hierarchy. Primary nurses were called sisters, and those assisting them were called helpers and watchers.
Medicine in The Great Depression
took its toll on health care and nursing, as jobs became scarce and many nursing schools closed. At this time, the federal government became one of the largest employers of nurses. The newly organized Joint Committee on Nursing recommended that jobs go to more qualified nurses and that the workday be reduced from 12 to 8 hours, although these measures were not widely implemented. During this period, hospitals became the primary source of health care, supported by hospital insurance programs. As the size of hospitals increased, more nursing jobs became available.
World War II and Nursing
The single largest transformation of the practice of nursing occurred during this time
