This project is an attempt to describe conceptualizations of nursing during various epochs of the past, and to analyze events and conditions that made an impact on the structure of nursing. It is planned to be completed in three phases: (a) Revitalization of Christian Religion and the Nursing Profession, 12th-13th century; (b) The Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and the Nursing Profession, 14th-15th century; and (c) The French Revolution and the Nursing Profession, 17th-19th century. Two French nursing orders will be studied in depth and the status of nursing related to that of women of the same epochs. A special effort will be made to document actions and events with primary sources rather than existing narratives. A multidimensional approach will be used for analysis of events. A synthesis of derived facts will be arrived at by asking two level questions. Level one: Who, what, where, when, and how did it happen. Level two: Why did it happen in a specific geographical area, to a specific group of people, at a specific time, and so forth. The outcome of this project is expected to provide a valuable source of information for nurses interested in history, nursing scholars, and scholars from other disciplines interested in the early origins of nursing. To study history, not infrequently sheds light on what is going on today and thus assists individuals in recognizing and dealing with today's problems.
