In the world of health care, we often praise doctors and specialists for their work, but there's another group that plays a crucial role – nurses.
On International Nurses Day, May 12, we take a moment to shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes and explore how their roles have evolved over time, with insight from Fedhealth.
The profession of nursing dates back to the Roman Empire, around 300 AD, with the establishment of hospitals. It spread across medieval Europe, heavily supported by the Catholic Church.
However, it was Florence Nightingale, in the 19th century, who transformed nursing, pushing for better hygiene practices during the Crimean War, which led to a drop in infection rates among soldiers.
Nightingale's legacy didn't stop there; she championed education and specialisation in nursing. The first nursing school opened in 1860 in London, marking the beginning of formal nursing education.
World Wars I and II saw a huge demand for nurses, even those without formal training. Post-war, the field saw the emergence of specialisations like paediatrics and oncology, further shaping modern nursing.
Nursing in South Africa
The way nursing has grown in South Africa is a story that mirrors our nation's history with its complexities and challenges. Back in the colonial days, taking care of the sick was mostly done by missionaries and everyday folks without formal training.
But as we stepped into the 20th century, hospitals started popping up and religious groups began to formalise nursing care.
It wasn't until the 1930s that South Africans could study nursing at a university level, a big step from when nursing was just seen as part of a woman's household duties.
Today, aspiring nurses have a choice between earning a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree or pursuing various diploma programmes.
During the dark times of apartheid, nursing was split along racial lines, with separate schools for black nurses and many doors of opportunity closed to them.
However, these nurses played a key role in caring for communities that others forgot. After apartheid ended in 1994, the field of nursing started to heal, with nursing schools opening up to everyone and policies coming into place to ensure everyone had a fair shot.
Nursing today: A world of specialisation
Modern medicine has transformed nursing into a field with countless specialities, from caring for children and fighting cancer to working in critical care and assisting in births.
Today's nurses do so much more than the basics, such as handing out medicine and checking vital signs. They take on big roles, proving just how crucial nurses are to our health system and our lives.
Nurses take on responsibilities such as:
Patient advocacy: They may be involved in advocating for patients' rights so that they receive the right care, information and support while in hospital. In this way, they act as liaisons between patients, families, doctors or other health-care professionals.
Public health advocacy: They can be involved in advocating for public health programmes, whether it's vaccination campaigns, disease screenings or general health education within a community clinic setting.
Health education: They can be involved in educating patients and communities about basic health care or disease prevention. In a corporate setting, private medical aids can be contracted to provide nursing services to employees.
Care co-ordination: In both small clinics and big hospitals, nurses are key players in bringing together care from various teams. Sometimes, it's obvious that a patient will do better being cared for at home.
Certain medical aid schemes have a special Hospital At Home service. This means nurses or other medical professionals visit patients at home to give them the treatment they need.
Clinical leadership: Nurses who lead teams are in charge of managing the nursing staff, planning how to care for patients, setting high-quality standards and making sure other nurses follow the right procedures and rules.
They also offer a shoulder to lean on, comforting patients and their families who are dealing with sickness, injury or end-of-life care.
Nurses have always been crucial in looking after the sick, ever since the profession began.
They work hard to keep us healthy and deserve our gratitude and praise for the comprehensive care they provide to patients and the significant benefits they bring to our communities, as highlighted by Fedhealth.