Foundations of

Nursing Practice
History of Nursing
SUBMITTED BY:

CAMPOS, LORMIE A.
MACAVINTA, JOSEPH CELRIN III
MARIA GIRLIE D. JORDAN, MSN
Professor

Saint Paul University Philippines

Tuguegarao City
Cagayan Valley North
THE HISTORY OF NURSING

It could be said that nursing is as old as mankind since people

have always needed nursing care when ill or wounded.

The word nurse is derived from the Anglo-French nurice and the
Latin nutrica, both of which mean nourish. This is exactly what
nurses have always done. (Petiprin, 2016)
BEGINNINGS OF THE NURSING PROFESSION
It is believed that the first recorded aspects of nursing place the
inception of the profession during the height of the Roman
Empire, around 300 A.D.

It was during this time that the Empire sought to place a hospital
within every town under its rule. As such, there were many
nurses during that time that assisted in in-patient medical care
within the newly created hospitals, alongside doctors.

As the Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire, they further

innovated within the field by creating 2 fully-developed hospitals
within the great city of Constantinople, which housed both male
and female nurses.

These nurses were known as hypourgoi and helped to push

forward nursing on a more global scale. (Says, 2014)
NURSING IN THE MIDDLE AGES

When taking a glimpse at nursing in the Middle Ages, there were a

myriad of advancements and innovations that were implemented
within the nursing industry during these years, helping to form some
of the roots of modern nursing. During this period of time, the
industry was still largely based on religion, with the vast majority of
available nurses consisting of nuns and even monks. Hospitals
functioned in a myriad of ways, housing lepers and refugees among
the typical sick and injured patients. It was due to this that a nurses
role within the hospital involved a wider range of duties than may be
seen today (Says, 2014).

Around the late 500s to early 600s, the first Spanish hospital was
created in Merida, Spain, with many of its nurses being supplied by
the Catholic Church. They were explicitly told to care for all of the
sick, no matter their nation of origin or the religion they belonged to.
While many of these European hospitals began to fall into disrepair
in the 800s, Emperor Charlemagne came to the decision to restore
and equip these hospitals with all of the latest medical equipment of
that time. The Emperor also demanded that hospitals should be
attached to every cathedral and monastery within Europe, which
helped to spur demand for even more nurses (Says, 2014).
It was during the dawn of the 10th and 11th centuries that nursing
began to expand, due primarily to a number of different rulings
within Europe. For one, monasteries started housing hospitals inside
their premises, as well as a separate infirmary, though this was only
to be used by those that identified as religious. Within these
monasteries, nurses were made to provide patients with any type of
service that they asked for or required, even outside of general
health care services. This model of nursing became increasingly
popular throughout many countries, primarily those of Germany and
France, providing the general outline for how nurses are expected to
treat their patients today. Nurses were often asked to provide
assistance and care by traveling to neighboring areas in order to
make house calls (Says, 2014).

Not only did many monasteries house hospitals, it was also around
this time that each church was required to have a hospital contained
within the structure. However, these churches were more difficult to
maintain than their monastery counterparts, due in large part to the
fact that monasteries existed within the countryside, while churches
were often set in the city, meaning that more people would require
the services of the nurses and doctors. As such, the priest within
each church was required to assist with the hospital that resided
within their church. This proved successful in both the short and long
term and allowed Germany to craft well over 150 hospitals between
the years of 1200 and 1600, expanding the role of nurses within
Europe dramatically (Says, 2014).
The mid 1000s also saw a rise in what are known as charitable
houses, as they were brought over to England by the Normans during
their conquest and eventual capture of that very country. This type of
health care facility was different from those of churches and
monasteries, due in large part to nurses providing certain richer
customers with alms and other medicines. The alms, in particular,
were utilized in burial preparations, thus becoming highly sought
after. This style of aid was distinctly new from anything seen in the
past and seemed to usher in a new era of nursing (Says, 2014).

Unfortunately, as Europe entered the beginning of the 17th century,

nursing as a whole became exceedingly diminished for a wide variety
of reasons. For one, most monasteries were shut down during the
Protestant reformation, as well as the hospitals within them. The
nuns that had been working as nurses were made leave the
profession and stay at home. It was due to this that nursing largely
stagnated between the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe, as there
were simply not enough hospitals available. However, in the few
areas of Europe in which the Protestant rule had not spread and
Catholics still retained control, the role of nurses remained largely
the same, diminished only in numbers (Says, 2014).
In fact, those that practiced nursing were beginning to develop
new services as well, particularly the act of offering care to those
within the estate of their patrons. While staying at the estate,
these nurses would often be required to perform the duties
typically undertaken by apothecaries, physicians and surgeons.
While nursing faced more tumultuous times during the years to
come, nurses remained in demand more than ever and were
often tasked with administering certain health care services to
patients that might have been wary of the care provided by actual
doctors (Says, 2014).

By the 18th century, the United States was beginning to realize

the need for organized nursing services. In 1751, Benjamin
Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond opened Pennsylvania Hospital, the
nation's first hospital. It served the poor and homeless in
Philadelphia. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in
1775, Congress recruited nurses to care for the sick and
wounded. They requested one nurse for every 10
patients. (Petiprin, 2016)
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AND THE
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN NURSING
Throughout the years, wars have increased the need for nurses and
have had a great influence on the evolution of nursing. Florence
Nightingale, who is widely regarded as the mother of modern
nursing, made her greatest impact when she served in the Crimean
War from 1853 to 1856. Her sanitation efforts dropped the mortality
rate dramatically. She went on to establish the Florence Nightingale
School for Nurses in London. Between 1861 and 1865, over 2000
nurses served in the Civil War, some on the front lines. Many of
these nurses wrote of their war experiences. (Petiprin, 2016)

Upon encountering this, Nightingale asked for and received aid from
the British government that allowed for much better hygiene
throughout the battlefield and nearby hospital. It was due to this that
the rate of death from infections dropped drastically in but a short
period of time. Throughout the rest of her life, Nightingale advocated
for sanitary living conditions for patients, as well as providing similar
designs to be implemented within hospitals, an ideal that has
spread throughout the entirety of the nursing profession throughout
the following years (Says, 2014).
MODERN NURSING WITHIN EUROPE

It was because of the influence of Florence Nightingale that nursing

as a profession became what it is today, though both Europe and the
U.S. offered different advancements throughout the period leading
up until now. As for Europe, the nursing profession flourished when,
in 1860, Nightingale opened the very first nursing school in London,
which was known as the Florence Nightingale School for Nurses.
This helped to pave the way for more and more schools being
founded and opened officially for prospective nurses to receive
actual training and education for the field they were entering, thus
providing roots for modern nursing (Says, 2014).

While Florence Nightingale is one of the most popular nurses in

history, it is not to be believed that she was the only notable figure in
the field of nursing. In fact, there were a few others that helped to
provide advancements to nursing in the 1800s. For instance,
Clarissa Harlowe Barton was a nurse who founded the American Red
Cross soon after the Civil War, while Linda Richards and Agnes
Elizabeth Jones helped to create a number of nursing schools
throughout the U.S. and Japan during the mid to late 1800s. These
women worked tirelessly to provide high quality health care to
anyone that needed it, providing the model for nursing that still
exists today (Says, 2014).
Within Europe, Germany, France and Britain were at the forefront
of bringing nursing into the modern age. Germany brought back
what are known as deaconesses in the early 1800s. A
deaconess is basically a nurse in charge of providing health care
for other women in the area. Despite the fact that deaconesses
had all but vanished for a few centuries before then, they were
brought back by Theodor Fliedner in 1836 when he opened a
deaconess motherhouse situated nearby the Rhine River. This
move allowed for the floodgates to open in Germany, popularizing
this form of nursing. By the dawn of the 20th century, there were
reportedly well over 5,000 deaconesses in all of Europe, primarily
Germany. This number swelled to nearly 50,000 by the late
1950s. In fact, deaconesses were even found to be located in
other countries as well, such as the U.S. and Canada (Says,
2014).
As for France, they also seemed keen in contributing to the
nursing profession in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In
France, nursing was still largely centered on religion. Within the
nearly 1,500 hospitals located all throughout France, the nursing
staff was comprised of well over 10,000 Catholic nuns in 1870.
This number increased even moreso in the next 40 years to
15,000.. This allowed for a better quality of care for all patients
(Says, 2014).

The First World War gave a huge boom to nursing within the
country. While many of the nurses that joined the ranks during
this time were untrained and seemed to leave the profession not
long after the war ended, it brought about a larger focus on
nursing by France that was missing before then, which was
further signified by the offering of a national diploma in nursing
in the year 1922. This move was largely brought about because
of the necessity for nursing within the Crimean War (Says, 2014).
These military hospitals were developed solely to provide care to
soldiers and military patients. As such, many nurses throughout
Europe started being appointed directly to these hospitals around
that time. However, one thing that still stood out was that many
of the available nurses at the time were simply untrained, in both
the profession and in how to deal with the exceedingly adverse
conditions brought about during the time of war. While the health
care being administered was useful and still helped to save lives,
it was becoming clear that nurses would need to undergo some
sort of training to become better equipped to handle any type of
condition (Says, 2014).
MODERN NURSING IN THE U.S.

Nursing within the United States took a decidedly different path

than in similar countries. Due to the absence of a stronghold of
Catholicism within America, the nursing field was not comprised
of nuns. Nursing officially began in the early 1700s when the
first almshouse was opened in Philadelphia. However, many of
the hospitals that were created in the ever-expanding United
States throughout the next 2 centuries were largely derived
because of the fear from local governments of diseases
spreading to the more wealthy population. Therefore, they did not
receive the proper funding that would have allowed for the
training of nurses (Says, 2014).
As the United States continued to see the need for nursing
education, the first training school was opened 1872 at the New
England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston. Its first
graduate was Linda Richards, the first American trained nurse.
After that, more and more hospitals opened nursing schools.
Unfortunately, in many of the schools, the training consisted of
very little book learning, and many times the students were
exploited as free labor. Contrary to the autonomous Nightingale
schools, nursing was under the control of medicine (Petiprin,
2016).

It should also be noted that the only roles for a nurse within
these hospitals during this period of time revolved primarily
around tending to the elderly and those with sicknesses, such as
the flu and the common cold. These almshouses were rarely
equipped to deal with any actual illnesses that needed to be
treated immediately. However, most nurses spent their time
tending to soldiers wounds within the Civil War, as well as joining
the American Red Cross soon after the war. It wasnt until the
dawn of the 20th century that actual progress and modernization
within the field of nursing began to take place (Says, 2014).
There were a number of factors that contributed to the general rise in
nursing. The first of these revolved around the state of the nursing
schools that had already existed at this time. While these schools were
somewhat useful at training nurses, they were solely controlled by nurses.
Although this did have its advantages, they did not have enough resources
to properly innovate and advance the overall profession. This was
changed in 1900 when schools became controlled by hospitals instead,
allowing for a more hands-on approach to training, which proved highly
useful in giving prospective nurses the necessary tools to train efficiently
(Says, 2014).

Before this, nurses-in-training would only learn through the medical books
that they were taught with. At this time, most of these nurses were
women. One of the more ambitious nursing programs brought to America
was Frontier Nursing Service, which was founded by Mary Breckinridge.
This organization was designed to provide nursing care to poor citizens
living in the more rural areas of the U.S., further expanding the scope and
definition of all that nursing entailed (Says, 2014).
 By the 1970s, the three-year, hospital-based diploma schools
were starting to be replaced by two-year associate degree
programs at technical schools or by four-year Bachelor of Science
degree programs at universities. These schools provide the
academic curricula and are affiliated with hospitals for clinical
training. As the need for higher education in nursing is growing,
universities also are offering master's and doctorate programs.
(Petiprin, 2016)

The following nursing timeline shows how world events and

famous nurses influenced nursing history and paved the way for
modern nursing practice. (Petiprin, 2016)

1751 - The first hospital was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1775 to 1783 - Nurses were recruited to care for the wounded under
the command of George Washington.
1783 - James Derham used his earnings from nursing to buy his
freedom from slavery.

1841 - Dorothea Dix advocated for the mentally ill and established
mental institutions.

1853 to 1856 - Florence Nightingale served in the Crimean War and

set up a holistic system of nursing.

1859 - Notes On Nursing by Florence Nightingale was published. It

was one of the first nursing manuals ever written.

1860 - The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing was opened in

London.

1861 - Nurses began to wear uniforms.

1861 to 1865 - During the Civil War, over 2,000 nurses cared for
injured and ill soldiers.

1865 - Sojourner Truth cared for injured African-American soldiers in

Washington, D.C. Her sanitation practices reduced infections,
and she taught other nurses her principles.

1873 - Linda Richards, the first American trained nurse, graduated

from the New England Hospital for Women and Children School
of Nursing.

1879 - Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American trained nurse,

graduated from the New England Hospital School of Nursing.

1881 - Clara Barton established the American Red Cross.

1893 - Lillian Wald founded the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
1900 - The first issue of the American Journal of Nursing was
published.

1901 - New Zealand began requiring registration for nurses.

1902 - Ellen Dougherty from New Zealand became the first

registered nurse in the world.

1902 - Lina Rogers Struthers was hired as the first public school
nurse.

1908 - Congress established the United States Naval Nursing Corps.

1908 - The National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses was

established. It merged with the American Nurses Association in
1951.
1914 to 1918 - Nurses from the U.S. Navy Nursing Corps and the
American Red Cross served in World War I.

1917 - Margaret Sanger established the National Birth Control

League that later became Planned Parenthood.

1925 - The Frontier Nursing Service was started by Mary

Breckinridge.

1939 to 1945 - Over 59,000 American nurses served in World War

II.

1950 - The first intensive care units were established and created
the specialty of critical care nursing.

1956 - Columbia University School of Nursing offered the first

master's program for nurses.
1959 to 1975 - Over 5,000 nurses served during the war.

1965 - The University of Colorado established the first nurse

practitioner program.

1967 - Dame Cicely Saunders started the first hospice in London

and provided the foundation for care of the terminally ill.

1972 - Eddie Bernice Johnson was the first registered nurse elected
to the U.S. House of Representatives.

1979 - Case Western Reserve University started the first doctoral

program for nurses.

1990 - Nursing uniforms become more casual. Nurses in hospital

settings began to wear "scrubs".
2009 - The Carnegie Foundation released the results of Educating
Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation , a study of nursing
education.

2010 - The Institute for the Future of Nursing released

recommendations for improved health care.

Nursing in the past laid the framework for the common purpose
of health and well-being of individuals and communities. Nursing
theories and processes have changed over the years, but the
goal of nursing today remains the same.
HISTORY OF NURSING IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 Early Beliefs & Practices

- Mysticism and superstitions were the early beliefs of health and illness in the
Philippines.
- The cause of a disease was primarily believed to be due to either another person,
whom which was an enemy, or a witch or evil spirits (Wayne, 2015).
- Filipinos who were sick will seek consultation for the herbolarios, the so-called
herb doctors.
- Female member of the family was usually the one caring for the sick in their
homes.
- Filipinos subscribed to superstitious belief and practices when it comes to health and
illness.
- Persons suffering from diseases without any identified cause were believed
bewitched by mangkukulam or manggagaway and difficult childbirth and
some diseases (called pamao) were attributed to nunos
- Traditional birth attendants were the one assisted on childbirth (Wayne, 2015).
 Health Care during the Spanish Regime

- The context of nursing during this period was attributed to simple nutrition,
wound care and taking care the ill member of the family.

- They sought interventions from babaylan (priest physicians) or herbolarios

(herb doctor).

- In 1578, male nurses were acknowledged as Spanish Friars assistants for caring
sick individuals in the hospital.

- These male nurses were referred as practicante or enfermero (Wayne, 2015).

- The religious orders exerted their efforts to care for the sick by building hospitals in
different parts of the Philippines.
 The earliest hospitals were:

Hospital Real de Manila (1577) it was established mainly to care for the Spanish kings
soldiers, but also admitted Spanish civilians; founded by Gov. Francisco de Sande.

San Lazaro Hospital (1578) founded by Brother Juan Clemente and was administered
for many years by the Hospitalliers of San Juan de Dios; built exclusively for patients
with leprosy.

Hospital de Indios (1586) established by the Franciscan Order; service was in general
supported by alms and contributions from charitable persons.

Hospital de Aguas Santas (1590) established in Laguna; near a medicinal spring,

founded by Brother J. Bautista of the Franciscan Order.

San Juan de Dios Hospital (1596) founded by the Brotherhood of Misericordia and
administered by the Hospitaliers of San Juan de Dios; support was delivered from alms
and rents; rendered general health service to the public.
 Nursing During the Philippine Revolution

The war between Philippines and Spain emerged in the late 1890s.
Women assumed the role of nurses in order to assist the wounded soldiers.
The development of Filipina nurses brought about the foundation of
Philippine Red Cross.

The following Filipina had contributed to nursing history during the Philippine
revolution:
Josephine Bracken wife of Jose Rizal, installed a field hospital in an estate house in
Tejeros. She provided nursing care to the wounded night and day.

Rosa Sevilla de Alvero converted their house into quarters for the Filipino soldiers;
during the Philippine-American War that broke out in 1899

Dona Hilaria de Aguinaldo wife of Emilio Aguinaldo who organized that Filipino Red
Cross under the inspiration of Mabini.
Continuation

Dona Maria Agoncillo de Aguinaldo second wife of Emilio Aguinaldo; provided

nursing care to Filipino soldiers during the revolution, President of the Filipino Red
Cross branch in Batangas.

Melchora Aquino a.k.a. Tandang Sora nursed the wounded Filipino soldiers and gave
them shelter and food.

Capitan Salome a revolutionary leader in Nueva Ecija; provided nursing care to the
wounded when not in combat.

Agueda Kahabagan revolutionary leader in Laguna, also provided nursing services to her
troops

Trinidad Tecson (Ina ng Biak-na-Bato) stayed in the hospital at Biak na Bato to care for
wounded soldiers
Hospitals and Nursing Schools
In 1907, Americans began the training of the first Filipino nursing students.
Nursing students in the Philippines studied many of the same subjects as nursing
students in the U.S. However, it was believed that the curriculum in the Philippines
was never a mirror-image reproduction of the American nursing curriculum and
involved more than a simple transfer of knowledge from American nurses to Filipino
nurses.
The first Filipino nursing students also studied subjects that were more relevant to
their patients, such as the nursing of tropical diseases and industrial and living
conditions in the islands, as described by Lavinia L. Docks 1912 book A History of
Nursing: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day with Special Reference to the
Work of the Past Thirty Years (Wayne, 2015).

During the 20th century, American missionary doctors and nurses realized that their
manpower was insufficient thus Filipino nurses were trained in the hospitals.
Iloilo Mission Hospital of Nursing (Iloilo City, 1906)
- It was run by the Baptist Foreign Mission Society of America.
- Pensionado Act of 1903(or Act 854) was mandated which allowed Filipino
nursing students to study in United States.
- Miss Rose Nicolet, graduate of New England Hospital for Women and Children
in Boston, Massachusetts was the first superintendent for nurses.
-In 1929, it moved to its present location
-Miss Flora Ernst, took charge of the school in 1942.
-In March 1944, 22 nurses graduated.-
-In April 1944, graduate nurses took the first Nurses Board Examination at the
said institution.
St. Paul Hospital School of Nursing (Manila, 1907)

-The Archbishop of Manila established this hospital named Most Reverend

Jeremiah Harty under the supervision of Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres.

-It was located in Intramuros and provided general hospital services.

-It had free dispensary and dental clinic.

-It opened its training school for nurses in 1908, with Rev. Mother Melanie as
superintended and Miss E. Chambers as Principal
 Philippine General School of Nursing (1907)

1901- As a small dispensary mainly for Civil Officers and Employees, in Manila and
then became a civil hospital.

1906- Mrs. Mary Coleman masters advocated the idea of training Filipino girls for the
profession of nursing.

1907- With Gen. Forbes support and the Director of Health opened
classes in nursing under the auspices of the Bureau of Education.
Julia Nichols and Charlotte Clayton taught the students and American lecturers
served as lecturers.
1910- The Act No. 76 modified the organization of the school, placing it under the
supervision of the Director of Health.
-The Civil Hospital was abolished and the Philippine General Hospital was
established. The school became known as the Philippine General Hospital School of
Nursing.
- Elsie McCloskey-Gaches, chief nurse, introduced several improvements in the
school. The course was made attractive and more practical.
-Anastacia Giron-Tupas, the first Filipino nurse to occupy the position of the chief
nurse and superintendent in the Philippines, succeeded her.
St. Lukes Hospital School of Nursing 1907, Quezon City
- Opened after four years as a dispensary clinic.
- The predecessor of the St. Lukes College of Nursing
- One of the oldest nursing schools in the Philippines.
- It was established in 1907 soon after the founding of St. Lukes Hospital.
- The Late Rev. Charles Brent, the first Bishop of the Episcopal
Church in the Philippines initiated the
schools establishment together with Miss Ellen T. Hicks, was the
first principal
- Mrs. Vitaliana Beltran, then the first superintendent of nurses.
- Dr. Jose Fores was the first medical director of the hospital.
- The school had three of the seventeen Filipino
women who first took nursing in the Philippines.
- T h e C o l l e g e h a s consistently maintained its excellent record
as a top performing school,
ranking No. 1 in June 2007, December 2007 and June 2008
boardexaminations.
- 1 9 11 , S t . L u k e s g r a d u a t e s h a v e d i s t i n g u i s h e d themselves in
clinical practice, nursing education and post graduate studies
through the promotion and advancement of nursing in the Philip
pines.Celebrating its centennial in 2007.
- St. Lukes College of Nursing has prided itself through the years as one of
the oldest and one of the top performing nursing schools in the Philippines.
Mary Johnston Hospital School of Nursing 1907
Dr. Rebecca Parrish and two American missionary nurses, Rose Dudley and
Gertude Dreisbach, organized the Mary Johnston School of Nursing.
The nurses training course began with three Filipino young girls fresh from
elementary as their first students.
It was first known as The Bethany Clinic, had the Women's Foreign Missionary
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States as its moving
spirit.
Starting with 10 bamboo beds, 3 young Filipino girls were accepted to help in the
clinic.
In 1908, building was constructed in Tondo and was dedicated to the memory of
Mary Johnston, the wife of a friend of Dr. Parrish who donated the money for the
construction on the hospital.
The first 3 girls were joined by 3 more forming the first class of Mary Johnston
Hospital Training School for Nurses, and in 1911, the first class was graduated.
It stands for the development of Christian womanhood maintaining that good
womanhood must come first and nursing must be founded upon fine character.
 The school wanted to lead every student along the way of true Spirit Service so that a number of the
graduates may be found all over the Philippines engaged in community nursing.
1929, Community nursing has been part of the school curriculum.
December 8, 1941, during the World War II students helped to care for the sick and wounded.
The hospital, originally for women and children only opened its doors to the
casualties of war of both sexes until Japanese occupation. Classes were then permitted to reopen
this time in Nippongo.
February 5, 1942, the school building burned which led the senior class transferred to the North
General Hospital School of Nursing to continue their studies.
1946, graduates became the 1st graduates of North General Hospital School of Nursing.
In 1947, the Mary Johnston School of Nursing was reopened by authorization of the Bureau of
Private Schools. 25 girls had one year of college work before admission.
In 1953, the school was authorized to offer 4-year collegiate program as part of the Philippine
Christian Colleges and in 1957, the first class of 13 was awarded the Bachelor of Science in
Nursing.
The pre-war building became rehabilitated as the dormitory of the Nursing Service graduate.

The school of nursing underwent the gradual evolution from the traditional hospital school to the
collegiate school to keep abreast with the present trends to educate nurses.

Philippine Christian Colleges received university status on October 6, 1976 during its 30th (Pearl)
anniversary.

MJSN changed its official name to PCU-Mary Johnston College of Nursing. It has carried this name
for over 60 years. Its traditions and ideal remain the same, yet are geared to the present needs of
this ever changing society.
Philippine Christian Mission Institute Schools of Nursing

- The United Christian Missionary Society of Indianapolis, Indiana, a Protestant

organization of the Disciples of Christ, operated three schools of nursing:

- Sallie Long Read Memorial Hospital School of Nursing(Laoag, Ilocos Norte,

1903)

- Mary Chiles Hospital School of Nursing (Manila 1911).

- Frank Dunn Memorial Hospital (Vigan, Ilocos Sur, 1912

 The Start of Nursing Practice (1911- 1921)

Promulgation of Act No. 2493 which amends Medical Law (Act No. 310)
allowing the regulation of nursing practice transpired during this period.

However, in 1919, the First True Nursing Law was enacted through Act 2808.

During this period the Board Examiners for Nursing was also created.

The first nursing board examination was given on 1920.

The first executive officer of the Board Examiners for Nurses is a physicians.
Hospitals established in this period:

Mary Chiles Hospital School of Nursing (Manila

1911).
- The hospital was established by in Dr. W.N.
Lemon in small house on Azcarraga, Sampaloc,
Manila. In 1913, Miss Mary Chiles of
Independence, Montana, donated a large sum
of money with which the present building at
Gastambide was bought. The Tuason Annex was
donated by Miss Esperanza Tuazon, a
Filipino Philantropist.

Frank Dunn Memorial Hospital (Vigan, Ilocos Sur,

1912
San Juan de Dios Hospital of Nursing (Manila, 1913)
- In 1913, through the initiative of Dr. Benito Valdez, the board of inspectors and the
executive board of the hospital passed a resolution to open school of nursing. The school
has been run by the Daughters of Charity since then. Sister Taciana Tinanes was the first
Directress of the School
- It was June 16, 1913, a school of Nursing was opened, indulged with the aim of
providing service not only to the poor, but to the poorest of the poor.
- Though World War II had almost put its work of Charity to an end, post war
reconstruction and rehabilitation resulted in New Hospital in Dewey Boulevard,
presently Roxas Boulevard. Adjacent to it is the New College of Nursing,
the school of Nursing defunct from 1936 to 1942, re-opened in 1953. The
college administered by
D a u g h t e r ' s o f C h a r i t y o f S t . Vi n c e n t d e P a u l , w h o s e company was
founded by the later, the universal patron of all works of Charity with c o - f o u n d r e s s .
St. Louise de Marillac, the patroness of all those who devote
themselves to Christian Social work.
- Then later, it opened a new course of Medical Technology which had received
government recognition in 1969 and was absorbed by the college in 1972.-
- And recently, year 1993, a new department was opened, the Department
of Physical Therapy. Thus training more students and molding them towards
accomplishing the mission inculcated to us by St. Vincent to the fullest and that is
"Service....." Services to the people regardless of their status in life.
Emmanuel Hospital School of Nursing
(Capiz, 1913)
- In 1913, the American Baptist Foreign
Mission Society sent DR. P.H.J.Lerrigo
to Capiz for the purpose of opening a
hospital, Miss Rose Nicolet assisted him.
The school offered a 3-year training
course for an annual fee of Php 100.00.
- Miss Ciara Pedrosa was the first Filipino
principal.

Capiz Emmanuel Hospital (CEH)

Southern Islands Hospital School of Nursing (Cebu, 1918)

- The hospital was established in 1911 under the Bureau

of Health. The school opened in 1918 with Anastacia Giron-
Tupas, as the organizer.

-MissVisitacion Perez was the first principal.

 A Much Established Professional Organization: 1921 1931

- During this period, the precursor to the accredited professional

organization in the Philippines was created.

- The Filipino Nurses Association was established on October 15, and the
organization initiated the publication of Filipino Nurse Journal.

- Later, this journal was changed to The Philippine Journal of Nursing.

Amendment of certain sections of the Act 2008 was conducted in 1922
under Act 3025 passed by the 5th Legislature. This policy is entitled An
Act Regulating the Practice of Nursing Profession in the Philippine
Islands, which necessitates all nurses who are practicing the profession to
register yearly. In 1929, the organization also became a member of the
International Council of Nurses.

- Through the 1930s, Philippine schools of nursing continued to adopt those

aspects of American professional nursing they deemed relevant and
appropriate, such as higher admission standards and the specialization of
public health nursing.
Zamboanga General Hospital School of Nursing (1921)

When the civil government was extended to Mindanao and Sulu in 1914, the
government made it its basic policy the establishment of a hospital and dispensary.

This was to provide effective medical relief and the promotion of wellness in the
community. This in turn necessitated the educating, training, and ultimately hiring
of graduate nurses.

In the beginning, difficulties arose in the training, and of retaining nurses from the
north, due to the special conditions prevailing in the department. Thus the
establishment of Zamboanga General Hospital training School for Nurses was
deemed necessary.

In 1918, Zamboanga was the capital town of the non-Christian province

of Mindanao and Sulu.

Jacobo Fajardo, then Chief, Division of Provincial Sanitation, Philippine

Health Service, saw the need for a hospital to care for and treat contagious
diseases and at the same time promote wellness and healthful living in the
community
Chinese General Hospital School of Nursing (1921)
- Chinese General Hospital College of Nursing [and Liberal Arts (CGHCNLA)]
was established in 1921 as the Chinese General Hospital School of Nursing
(CGHSN)
- The idea was conceived by Dr. Jose Tee Han Kee, who was then the Director of the
Chinese General Hospital. With him were three physicians who organized the training
school. The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception based in Hong Kong and Canton,
China were requested by Dr. Tee Han Kee to help in starting the school. The
first batch of five sisters arrived in August
1921. Mrs.Praxedes Co Tui, a registered nurse from the Philippine
General Hospital was appointed as Chief Nurse and Principal of the School of
Nursing.
Other school of Nursing established:

Baguio General Hospital of Nursing (1923)

M a n i l a S a n i t a r i u m a n d H o s p i t a l S c h o o l o f N u r s i n g (1930)

St. Pauls School of Nursing in Iloilo (1946)

North General Hospital and School of Nursing (1946)

Siliman University School of Nursing (1947)

 Public Health Nursing Development: 1931 1941

In 1933, the nursing institution have increased their requirement. Implementation of

secondary education completion before entering nursing education.

1938, the first collegiate nursing graduates of the Philippines graduated from
University of the Philippines School of Public Health Nursing
 Nursing during World War II

The re-emergence of nursing needs as well as programs to entice women into

training due to occurrence of largest and most violent armed conflict. More
women worked outside the home as well as growth opportunities for nurses
multiplied.

World War II made public health nurses in Manila assigned to devastated areas to
attend the sick and the wounded.

A year after, 31 nurses who were taken prisoners of war by the Japanese army
and confined at the Bilibid Prison in Manila were released to the Director of the
Bureau of Health. Lot of public health nurses joined the guerillas or went to hide
in the mountains during this time.

In 1946, post war records of Bureau of Health showed that there were 308 public
health nurses and 38 supervisors compared to the pre-war 556 public health nurses
and 38 supervisors. The Nursing Office in the Department of Health was opened as
recommended by Mrs. Genera De Guzman, technical assistant in nursing of the DOH
and the President of the Filipino Nurses Association.
 The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 1941 1951

Julita V. Sotejo, graduate of the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing,

developed a nursing curriculum which on the development of a nursing education
within a University-based College of Nursing. Nursing curriculum that have made
the Nursing Institution of the country as a baccalaureate course. During this period,
College of Nursing was also created.

When the Japanese occupied the Philippines in 1942, training and practice at the
hospital schools of nursing in Manila was violently disrupted. However, U.S.
colonial patterns in Philippine nursing education soon returned after the U.S.
reclaimed the country in 1945 and even after the Philippines gained independence
from the U.S. July 4, 1946.
The First Colleges of Nursing in the Philippines

University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing 1st College of Nursing in

the Phils: (1946)
In its first year of existence, its enrollees were consisted of students from
different school of nursing whose studied were interrupted by the war.

In 1947, the Bureau of Private Schools permitted UST to grant the title
Graduate Nurse to the 21 students who were of advanced standing from
1948 up to the present. The college has offered excellent education leading
to a baccalaureate degree.

Sor Taciana Trinanes was its first directress.

Presently, Associate Professor Glenda A. Vargas, RN, MAN serves as its

Dean.
Manila Central University-College of Nursing (1947)

June 1947 (1 st College who offered BSN 4 year

program)
Responding to an appeal from students and
c o m m u n i t y t o c o n t i n u e o p e r a t i n g , afable College
of Medicine and Surgery after the death of its founder, the
MCC acquired its facilities. Thus born the MCCs
College of Medicine, with Dr. Alfredo Guerrero as
the first Dean.
The College of Nursing was also opened after the
Bureau of Private Schools granted MCC the permit to
operate the first year of a four- year course. Permit to
operate subsequent years of the course were secured.
Miss Consuelo Gimeno was its first principal. Presently,
Professor Lina A. Salarda, RN, MAN, EdD serves as its
Dean.
The Graduate School in Business Administration was
also established, the only of its kind focusing on
scientific management, to offer the degrees of Master in
Business Administration and later, Master in Public
Administration. Dr. Leon Ma. Gonzales is the first
Dean.
University of the Philippines Manila-College of Nursing (June 1948)

Was conceived through a thesis presented to the Division of Biological Sciences,

University of Chicago, by Ms. Julita V. Sotejo, entitled, A University School
of Nursing in the University of the Philippines. An abstract of this thesis was
enthusiastically received by Filipino nurses in convention on May 9, 1946, such that
a resolution supporting the proposal was passed by the Filipino Nurses Association
(now Philippine Nurses Association).After dicussions and consultations with then UP
President Dr. Bienvenido M. Gonzales and members of the Board of Regents (BOR),
the latter favorably endorsed the proposal to the President of the Philippines, so that
on April 9, 1948, the University of the Philippines College of Nursing came into
being.
FEU Institute of Nursing June 1955
Initially it offered a three-year diplomaprogram leading to a non-
degree Graduate in Nursing (GN), with Teofista G. Villarica as its first
principal.
By second semester a two year Advance professional Program
(supplemental program) was offered, a post-basic program designed
to provide graduates of the GN program opportunities to broaden their
knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the profession. Lucrecia
Llanera was the first directress of the new program.
Most of the enrollees were nurses holding important positions
in different health agencies and schools of nursing,
In 1960, Felicidad D. Elegado was appointed principal of both programs.
About this time, the School of Nursing was elevated to the status of an Institute
with Elegado as first dean. To upgrade the curriculum, the three-year course
was converted to a five-year baccalaureate program leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).Upon the retirement of Dean
Egelado in 1978, the then Institute secretary,
Lydia A. Palaypay, assumed deanship. The five-
year baccalaureate program was converted to the revised four-
year BSN curriculum. Under her administration, the nursing
curriculum became more competency-based and community health centered,
closely attuned to the needs of contemporary Philippine society.
UE College of Nursing Oct 1958
It was in the hustle and bustle of the late 1960s that the UERMMMC College
of Nursing was founded. The College owes its beginnings to the pioneers of
the then newly established medical center as well as to prominent benefactors.
Though the groundwork for
the College began as early as October 1958, students were admitted
only in the following year. This is because the foundations of what is to be
a premier institution had to be carefully laid out. The initial step was in many ways
a mighty challenge for the forerunners of the College. They were aware that
their exploits and feats would become the benchmark with which their
successors will build the next years of the Colleges acclaimed history.
 Proliferation of Nurses as a Workforce: 1951 1971

The Philippine Nursing Law was approved under the Republic

Act No. 877 on June 19 1953.

Then further amendment was created in 1966 which limits that

practice of among nurses 21 years old and above. The increasing
number of nurses in the Philippines have also brought about the
celebration of Nurses Week which was proclaimed by President
Carlos P. Garcia under the Proclamation No. 539.

The continuous of nurses had also resulted to the first round of

migration, particularly in United States. In fact, between 1966 and
1985 about 25,000 Filipino nurses have migrated to United States.
 Nursing Profession Development: 1971 2001

Regulation of the practice of health care providers, the Presidential

Decree No. 223, was mandated which brought about the
establishment of the agency, Professional Regulation Commission.

During this period, the Philippine Nursing Act of 1991 was also
amended under Republic Act No. 7164 which expanded nursing
practice to other roles such as management, teaching, decision
making, and leadership.

The qualification of nurses or facultys in the academe was also

updated to Masters Degree in Nursing or equivalent.

Another important event in Philippine Nursing history is the creation

of Nursing Certification Council in 1999 under the Board of Nursing
through Resolution No. 14 which supervise the new programs
implementation conducted by Specialty Certification Boards.

This improvement also prompted the start of Advanced Practice

Nursing (APN) in the Philippines.
 Further Changes in Nursing Law: 2001- to Present

During this period, the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 was enacted under
the Republic Act No. 9173 which entails changes on existing policies
under Republic Act No. 7164. These changes underscore on the
requirements for faculty and Dean of the Colleges of Nursing, as well as
the conduct for Nursing Licensure Exam.
REFERENCES:
Petiprin, A. (2016). History of nursing - nursing theory. Retrieved
January 9, 2017, from http://www.nursing-
theory.org/articles/The-History-of-Nursing.php

Says, L. O. (2014, September 11). The history of nursing. Retrieved

January 9, 2017, from Featured,
http://www.nursingschoolhub.com/history-nursing/

Wayne, G. (2015, May 26). History of nursing in the Philippines.

Retrieved January 15, 2017, from Fundamentals of Nursing,
https://nurseslabs.com/history-nursing-philippines/