Abstract
Although the practice of nursing can be traced back thousands of years, the history of modern nursing as a profession begins with the integration of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice has dramatically, profoundly, and irreversibly altered standards of healthcare services around the world. Similarly, evidence-based practice has changed the methods of nursing education to improve core competencies and promote a focus on patient outcomes. The social history method is used to evaluate the primary research question, which is how the integration of Evidence-Based Practice impacted nursing in the educational and practice domains from 1870 to 1920. Using the social history method reveals the contextual variables that facilitated Florence Nightingale’s own work, which established the precedent for evidence-based practice. A combination of primary and secondary sources allows for a deeper, richer understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice and the impact on nursing in terms of improved self-concept, self-efficacy, and legitimacy.
Introduction
In the 21st century, it is presumed that healthcare practice is evidence-based, rather than arbitrary, inconsistent, or based on spurious superstition or religious beliefs. However, it was only a century ago that the struggle to integrate scientific principles into nursing practice continued. Formal nursing practice evolved in Europe and the United Kingdom as an offshoot of religious service, provided by nuns. A social history research methods approach shows how the gradual secularization of European society caused a crisis in healthcare, a crisis that Florence Nightingale recognized and helped to resolve during her work during the Crimean War. The realities of modern warfare revealed the need for improved standards of care. Nightingale applied the scientific method, empiricism, and qualitative research methods into her work as a nurse, something that had never before been done with the same degree of certainty. In 1859, Nightingale published Notes on Nursing, which established evidence-based practice and set the stage also for formalized nurse training and education.
How did the integration of Evidence-Based Practice impact nursing in the educational and practice domains from 1870 to 1920? This research question is best approached using the social history research method. Social history research methods take into account not just facts and figures but also contextual variables. Historical realities, social contexts, and issues like class, gender, and power all have a bearing on the evolution of education and practice domains in nursing. It is hypothesized that the integration of evidence-based practice into nursing by Nightingale led directly to the professionalization of nursing. Professionalization entails rigorous standards for the education and training of nurse practitioners, as well as standardized care practices that respond to emerging research in science and medicine.
Social History Research Method, Rationale, and Sources of Information
Prior to the professionalization of nursing,...
references-and-Practicalities
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