History of District Nursing in Australia Essay

District nurses are those higher-ranking nurses who are involved in managing caveat in a community by leading teams of both support workers and community nurses. This particular account talks closely the history of dominion treat since its emergence in England over one hundred and fifty years ago. It hence discusses the pull ahead of district nursing in other countries, in this good example, Australia.Nursing git be defined as a science and an art with an majestic body of knowledge drawing from behavioral, physical, and social sciences (Funnel et al, 2005, p. ). It is a art that is singular in its own way beca recitation it addresses families and individuals responses to wellness problems, health maintenance, as closely as health promotion. Over one hundred years ago, nursing was defined by Florence nightingale as the act of making use of a patients environment in a propose to helping that particular patient recover. To facilitate for quick reco rattling, she conside red a clean, quiet, and hale ventilated environment as truly essential.Nursing helps in facilitation of official therapy, assists patients to be independent of assistance, and as well as help the patients to function to their maximum durability as soon as possible. Various themes have been associated with the definition of nursing. virtually describe nursing as an art, as a science, that nursing is ab fall out caring, it is holistic, that it is client oriented, adaptive, and that nursing is generally a helping profession. The historical accounts of the profession clearly bring out the revolving nature of nursing.The word nurse was derived from a Latin word which means to cherish or nourish. In a human beings life, birth, death, sickness, and injury are all very common. There has in that respectfore always been that gather up to tax return cathexis of others, specially those in need. Funnel et al state that some of the earliest and near organized nursing carried out by me n who worked in hospitals which were accomplished by military religious battle arrays at the period the crusades. Some examples include the knights of St. Lazarus, and the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Henry VIII, during the sixteenth century, commanded the closure of English monasteries and the confiscation of their wealthiness as well. What this meant was that all the sick and destitute people had no where to enlistment and were consequently left to die. This then cut the construction of work houses which were employ to house the poor and especially the sick. Here they lived in very unsuit adequate to(p) conditions and were at the same time required to work in order to earn their continued stay there.Conditions in London got to a very desperate state, and after many a(prenominal) petitions from the citizens, Henry VIII had no pick exactly to allow for the re-founding of some hospitals desire St Marys, St Thomass, as well as St Bartholomews. These hospitals desp ite their reopening were very poorly plyed and were casefulized by raging workers whose characters were very poor. Patients who were admitted in these hospitals lived under appalling conditions in overcrowded wards Funnel et al add that the early 18th and mid 19th century came to be termed as nursing Dark Ages of nursing.It was an age where caring of the sick and nurses precondition reached to the lowest levels ever imaginable (5). A clergyman named Theodor Fliedner in 1836 founded the asylum Kaiserwerth where they trained specially chosen women as deaconesses. The institution was then to be renowned for its high standards and levels of develop as well as the trouble given to the sick. The institution then grew very famous and finally became the reduce for training nurses and as a resultant true very many trainees, and from all parts of the world.Some of these trainees later assailable up centers in their respective countries. Modern nursing has hence evolved as a result of the influence Kaiserwerth had on individuals like Florence Nightingle. She had spent two weeks at Kaiserwerth in 1850 and later visited the institution again in 1851 and was named Superintendent for Establishment for Gentlewomen during Illness. She became famous when she took with her a team of thirty nurses to Scutari where they were met with a lot of resistance from medics who refused them to take care of the sick and injured soldiers.She however did non give up and devoted her time and energy to improving bad conditions in the camps finished the introduction of communal as well as personal hygiene, nerve of excellent food supply, getting hold of medical supplies, and basic wholesome conditions like washing of hands and also the importance of fresh air. In a span of two to three weeks, the opposition she had earlier set about was no more and the nurses were then called back to come and take care of the sick.Florence Nightingle was viewed as an idol by the soldiers because she brought hope and comfort to the sick clean by the light of the lamp she used t carry at night, hence she was later came to be known as the Lady of the Lamp. In the case of Australia, very little interest was paid for the care of the sick when the schoolmaster English colony was established at Sydney Cove. In 1811, Sydney hospital was opened and the staff included of fe manlike convicts with some male convicts also carrying out nursing duties.They were however received no wages for the labor they mountain passed although they received their intimidate. The nurses behavior here was wanting and they were known to be of poor character with them being drunk in about cases while on duty. In 1811, Australia opened its first lunatic asylum and it was characterized by untrained mental attendants. As a way of control, huge numbers of disturbed individuals were literally restrained because most of the staff were custodians and there was no emphasis any(prenominal) on treatment (Funn el et al, 2005, p. 5).In 1838, the first group of trained nurses arrived in Sydney. They were five in number. The influence of Nightingale was experienced in 1868. The principles of Nightingale were gradually adapted and the physically ill could now be cared for. Nurses were non left behind either. Practical skills were taught to them such as those of leeching, dressing, as well as administering enemas. Emphasis was however put on their punctuality, sexual purity, cleanliness, and most importantly obedience. A huge percentage of nursing comprised of housekeeping, and was dominated by house hold work.It was however acknowledged that compassion and also self-worth were characteristics that were desirable for all those who took care of the sick. The necessity for nurses training in Australia grew as scientific advances continued to be made. By the year 1900, most of the Australian hospitals had a three year training program for student nurses where lectures were delivered by the medi cal staff. The students could not however maintain their concentration in rank as a result of long hours of work.IN the wake of the ordinal century, conflict would arise whether nursing should be viewed as a vocation, order to medicine, or as a profession which is different but of commensurate status with medicine. (Funnel et al, 2005, p. 6) add that in the year 1867, an Act of Parliament was passed which declared that all individuals displaying signs of mental impairments should be sent to mental asylums and not prisons. As a result, the developmentally disabled were then able to be marooned from the mentally ill.Nursing in these mental asylums was delivered mostly by male attendants, and even though care remained and continued to be custodial, the medical staff was able to offer some lectures to these attendants. This is the period in which female attendants begun receiving grave considerations. As the increase in training of nurses continued to increase, so was the hullaba loo for nurses registration. In 1920, South Australia was the first of the states to pass the relevant legislation followed by Western Australia in 1922 and Victoria and spick-and-span South Wales in 1924.industrial issues emerged as the sense of professionalism emerged among nurses. In 1924, the Australian Nursing Federation was able to hold its first meeting and the meting addressed several issues including the improved on the job(p) conditions, improved wages, and the need for greater professional acknowledgment. According to the Australian business office of Statistics (1986), nursing home nursing in Australia started in 1885 when a group of bear on nationals came together in Victoria and founded the Melbourne District Nursing Service. The main target area of the group was to look after the underprivileged sick people at home.Since then, nursing serve wells have been seen to spread to every territory and state. Today, there are more than two hundred institutions employ m odern engineering to take care of the sick and at the same time offer both general and specialized nursing divine services to the citizens of Australia. Australian chest of drawers of Statistics states that the link with district nurses from England is apparent in the growth of nursing institutes in Australia. In England, nurses begun to be trained for work districts in 1848. One, Mr. William Rathborne, in 1859, saw the need to provide a nurse who was meant to work amongst the poor in Liverpool.He later founded a training school for district nurses using his own personal finances. These nurses were not only seen as caring but also as social reformers due to their knowledge and also pack contact they established with those they cared for. During Queen Victorias Jubilee Year in 1887, some of the funds collected for her gift were given by the pantywaist for the setting up of Queen Victorias Jubilee Institute of Nurses. end-to-end England for many years, the establishment facilitate d both the employment and training of district nurses.A considerable number of district nurses also came to undertake this particular training program. The relevant information regarding district nursing services was brought to Australia by Dr. Caffyn and Rev. C. quick who were from England. They were both very instrumental when it came to setting up the first home nursing in Australia which was known as the Melbourne District Nursing smart set (204). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the first State to introduce a district nursing service in Australia was that of Victoria in 1885.It was then followed by South Australia in the year 1894, then came Tasmania in 1896, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia in 1900, 1904, and 1905 respectively. One notable nursing service was the Blue Nursing Service. According to the history of Blue care, Blue care started off being known as the Blue Nursing Services. The service came to be through the vision and urgings o f Rev. Arthur Preston, who was the founder. There was a great dearth of hospital beds in Australia and the nursing bodies that were in existence then were not able to cope with the demands of an ever growing population.This was the reason the founders saw the need to establish a new home nursing service to furnish for this rising need. In 1977, together with the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, Blue Nursing was seen as a uniting factor in Australia. It is evident from the history of district nursing that the establishment of all nursing organizations was triggered by identified health care needs present in the decree. At fist, focus was in the main at the poor, disadvantaged, and the sick. Services were however later made accessible to everyone in society.This was attributed to the government started issuing subsidies to most of these organizations. Nursing institutions today operate in very different structures and also under different support like voluntary bodies, local g overnment, and hospitals. At the same time, nurses working in these organizations take one common goal and commitment that of providing quality care in the society. There has been new demand on those nurses working in the society caused by the increased development of both technological and medical services.This has its results as people are now being discharged from hospitals earlier and also at a more accurate stage of sickness. Nurses have been laboured to further and upgrade their current education so that they can keep up with helping and providing quality care to the community. For Australia, district nursing is a record of success. Realizing their extended roles as nurses which are based on their expertise, experience, as well as knowledge is crucial if at all effectiveness is to be maintained in delivery of their services.