N1 exam 1 reviewer

TAYLOR CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Nursing DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING FROM EARLY CIVILIZATIONS TO THE 16TH CENTURY ­ Most early civilizations believed that illness had supernatural causes. ­ The theory of animism attempted to explain the cause of mysterious changes in bodily functions. ­ This theory was based on the belief that everything in nature was alive with invisible forces and endowed with power. ­ The health care provider was the medicine man who treated disease by chanting, inspiring fear, or opening the skull to release evil spirits ­ The nurse usually was the mother who cared for her family during sickness by providing physical care and herbal remedies. ­ In the early Christian period, the idea that love and caring for others were important, women called “deaconesses” made the first organized visits to sick people, and members of male religious orders gave nursing care and buried the dead. ­ Both male and female nursing orders were founded during the Crusades (11th to 13th centuries). Hospitals were built for the enormous number of pilgrims needing health care, and nursing became a respected vocation. ­ At the beginning of the 16th century, many Western societies shifted from a religious orientation to an emphasis on warfare, exploration, and expansion of knowledge. women who were convicted of crimes were recruited into nursing in lieu of serving jail sentences. In addition to having a poor reputation, these nurses received low pay and worked long hours in unfavorable conditions.