A short history of the Nursing Profession in India
Nursing as a formal practice did not appear in India’s healthcare systems until the 17th century. Most villages had an experienced individual practiced in the art of medicine, delivery of newborns and caring for the sick and the wounded. In the 17th century, the Portuguese military inducted formal nurses into their ranks at local bases. The English East India Company began the first hospital that applied the principles of Western medicine at Fort St. George, Madras, in 1664, and was meant to serve its soldiers stationed at the garrison. Gradually, other hospitals came up at Fort Williams (Calcutta), Neyyoor and other places.
No history of the nursing profession would be complete without a passing mention of the role of Florence Nightingale, whose efforts to highlight the importance of care in reducing mortality rates brought much needed reforms in both military and civil hospitals in India. The Government General Hospital at Madras began the first formal training for nurses and midwives in 1871. Thereafter, various other nursing schools took off across India between the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, no uniform educational standards were being followed in nursing education. Then, between 1907 and 1910, the United Board of Examiners, for mission hospitals, was set up which formalized a set of training standards and rules. Later Central India (1926) and South India (1913) boards were set up which conducted regular examinations and handed out diplomas. The first school of Health Visitors was started in 1918 by the Lady Reading Health School, Delhi. Subsequently, a four-year B.Sc. program was instituted in 1946 at the RAK College of Nursing in Delhi and the CMC College of Nursing in Vellore. It was not until 1960 that a M.Sc. program was started at the RAK College of Nursing. A two-year ANM course was started at St. Mary’s
AN EDUCATED AND WELLTRAINED NURSE, COMMUNICATING ADEPTLY WITH PATIENTS IS AN ASSET
Hospital in Punjab in 1951. Contemporary challenges in nursing have been shaped by revolutionary transformations in technology, complexities derived through changing lifestyles, increased migration to urban slums, changes in weather and the environment, newer more resistant disease vectors, burgeoning population densities and consequent strain on resources.
Nursing professionals play a vital role in all aspects of healthcare, be it nation-wide health campaigns such as polio eradication, mid-wife services and community education or serving the patients at an ill-equipped healthcare facility in rural India. With their commitment and care, nurses have established themselves as the backbone of the healthcare system and their contribution is critical in achieving the healthcare goals of a nation. Nursing is a rewarding career that offers a bright and satisfying future to those who seek to work with people and live by a moral sense of service.
For a long time, nursing was considered to be a dead-end job. Today, its scope has widened not only in clinical care, but also in administrative and teaching positions. Nurses can work for international volunteering organizations such as the Red Cross Society, Nursing Councils or choose among PHCs (primary health centers) and MCHs (maternal and child health services). Those who are interested in a teaching may share their experiences with the upcoming batches of nurses at the Central Bureau of Health Education (CHEB), Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI). With their first-hand knowledge of patient behavior, nurses can become a vital source of input to health information systems and policies.