Iconic, a mover, and a shaker—these words describe Florence Nightingale, a nurse who was a pioneer in changing the perception of nursing as a respected profession. She introduced modern nursing practices and protocols that are still followed today. Time has also brought innovation, more career opportunities, and a wider scope of practice to nursing positions.
It hasn’t always been a linear path for nursing. Burnout, compassion fatigue, pandemics, and nursing shortages have tested—and are still testing–the resilience of nurses everywhere.
Today, however, the future of nursing is looking up. Factors such as better education, advanced training, and flexible staffing models influence the way nurses show up to work every day and serve others.
It’s hard to keep up with all the changes in nursing; luckily, we have a list for you. If you want to learn how nursing has changed over time, keep reading.
Here are nine ways nursing has evolved over the years and how nurses are adapting to these changes.
1. Better training and education
Nursing has shifted over the years. It is now considered a trusted, specialized, and highly-regarded profession. Before the 20th century, Florence Nightingale offered basic training to nurses on battlefields about how to treat and care for patients. A nurse back then could still only receive informal training. This included rudimentary shadowing and apprenticeship.
Nursing wasn’t considered a formal profession until Nightingale established the first nursing school in 1860. Today, prestigious nursing programs are available worldwide. Nurses can specialize in a range of healthcare specialties and earn a master's degree or a doctorate in nursing which offers career opportunities that have a broader scope of practice.
2. Hygienic medical settings
Before nursing was considered a formal profession, nurses commonly worked on the battlefield by attending to patients. A nurse back then would frequently work in unpredictable and unhygienic environments. This later evolved to nurses working in patients’ homes and eventually working in basic healthcare posts or small hospitals. Even then, these hospitals weren’t equipped with the sanitation or safe patient protocols that are available today.
Now, nurses can work in state-of-the-art hospitals, physicians' offices, schools, and a variety of medical settings. These settings prioritize patient and nurse safety, utilize technological advancements, and follow the latest rules of hygiene in nursing.
3. Advanced technology
Today, technology is exploding in the healthcare realm, a significant change compared to nurses back then. Before the 1930s, nurses didn’t even use stethoscopes.
From wearable technology and electronic medical records (EMRs) to minimally invasive treatments and AI natural language processing (NLP), these advancements are helping nurses provide superior care to patients.
Nurse technology is ever-evolving, and novel trends such as robotic assistance and machine learning will lead to more tech-savvy and empowered nurses.
4. More patient-centered care
Previously, the curriculum for nursing education and clinical practice routinely focused on the medical aspects of care. Back then, nurses provided assistance and support to physicians and their training focused on treating symptoms.
Today’s nurses are trained in evidence-based practices and encourage patient engagement in their treatment plans. With a patient-centered care approach, nurses foster trust. This trust allows for opportunities to educate about disease management and preventative health care, as well as advocate for their patients to other healthcare clinicians.
5. More nursing roles—and male nurses
Nursing hasn’t always been considered a respected profession. In the 1800s, nursing was looked down upon as a menial job. Back then, a nurse’s role and scope of practice were very limited.
Today, nurses aren’t confined to the bedside. They can complete additional training and education to certify for a number of specialized roles, such as oncology or informatics.
Although since its beginning it has been a woman-dominated profession, that is changing with the times as well. Male nurses make up slightly more than 10 percent of today’s practicing nurses.
6. Prioritizing mental health
Nurses have historically been exposed to high-stress situations—wars, shortages, class, race, and gender discrimination. Today’s cultural acknowledgment and study of the terms compassion fatigue or burnout would have been considered taboo.
The current nursing shortage isn’t the first the profession has endured, nor is it likely to be the last. However, this time around, nursing leaders and organizations, journalism, government, and nurses themselves are talking openly about it. More healthcare facilities are recognizing the importance of nurse mental health with wellness programs, stress management courses, and encouragement of counseling or therapy.
7. Leveraging PRN apps
Recently, the evolution of PRN staffing apps has led to more nurses having the flexibility to work when and where they want. PRN apps like Nursa, let PRN nursing clinicians see the offered shifts at facilities near them and decide if they want to pick them up or not.
Staffing apps also help facilities by offering scheduling flexibility that helps facilities connect with nurses.
8. Better communication
Today nurses are seen as respected healthcare clinicians who are valuable members of any multidisciplinary team. Communication between nurses, other healthcare professionals, managers, and administrators is better.
Messaging apps that are HIPAA compliant and standardized tools for shift or patient handoffs have also helped team communications.
9. Supportive nurse organizations
Nurses haven’t always had the backing and support of established, influential organizations. The American Nursing Association was founded in 1986 and in the last 100-plus years has sought to advocate for systemic protections and changes for nurses.
In 1945, the California Nurses Association was the first to enter collective bargaining negotiations for its nurses. That’s almost 100 years after nursing was established as a profession.
Today’s nurses have many options for organizational support. Organizations that focus on continuing education and networking for nurses as a whole and even within different specialties. While nursing unions continue to negotiate better pay and protections for nurses in many states.
The future of nursing
When we think of nurses “back then,” we think of hardworking people providing important patient care. Often, they worked without much support or respect and definitely without the knowledge and technological advancements we have today.
The evolution of the nursing profession isn’t over. What will people 100 years in the future say about today’s strides in nursing when they discuss nurses “back then”?
For now, we can hope that it will be looked upon as a time of small and big changes to overcome significant challenges.
Prioritizing mental health is one evolution we can all focus on this year. Review our self-care tips for nurses or check out our practical strategies for facilities to prevent nurse burnout.
Sources:
- American Nurses Association: Safety Strategies Every Nurse Leader Needs to Know
- American Nurses Association: How Technology Is Changing the Nursing Industry
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Data Spotlight: Men In Nursing: Five-Year Trends Show No Growth
- American Nurses Association: History of Nursing
- National Nurses United: More than 100 years of RN power
