Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

is the practice of providing care for

patient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other hea ...

s, families, and communities in that nation to improve

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, i ...

was the first woman to have great influence over nursing in India and had a close knowledge of Indian conditions, especially in the army. She was interested in the nursing service for the

civilian population Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, ...

, though her first interest was the welfare of the army in India. In 1854 (in Crimean war), when women nurses were considered as rare, Florence Nightingale shows her ability in nursing. Works of Florence results in formation of Royal Commission. Army Medical School was established in year 1857. She established "Nightingale School for nurses". In 1907, she gained "The Order of Merit" by the King.

19th century

In 1871, the first school of nursing was started in

Government General Hospital Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1664 by the British East India Company, it is the first moder ...

, Madras with a six-month diploma midwives programme with four students. The first nursing school for women was started at Kanpur's Saint Catherine's Hospital by Dr

Alice Marval Alice Marietta Marval (26 January 1865 – 4 January 1904) popularly known as Dr Alice Marval of Cawnpore, was an English people, English Physician, doctor and nurse who built a hospital in India to serve women and children who were excluded ...

. Four female superintendents and four trained nurses from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

were posted to Madras. Between 1890 and 1900, many schools, under either

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

s or government, were started in various parts of India. In the 20th century, national nursing associations were started. In 1897, B. C. Roy worked to the standards of nursing and nurses of both sexes.

References

External links

Indian Nursing Council

Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council
{{Asia topic, Nursing in

Florence Nightingale

19th century

See also

References

Further reading

External links