Important Events and Persons in the History of Nursing in the Philippines

Nursing has been around ever since time began and its evolution began many years ago,
that it is now the center of healthcare. As we dive into this paper, we will know the important
persons and events in the history of nursing in the Philippines and their connection to the period
of nursing from the worldwide perspective.

Nursing has always been here since the start or may it be after decades . Though the
nursing practice before is far from the nursing that we have today. Nursing has been shaped by
many cultures and communities, as well as changes within those societies, from the dawn of
time. Nursing gets its name from the Latin term nutricius, which means "to nourish."(Taylor,
Lillis, &LeMone, 1997). As a result, nursing was regarded as a duty of family care rather than a
vocation in ancient times.

Wayback in time, ancient Filipnos believed about various superstitions and mysticism,
and that nursing was solely based on instinct. During the ancient time, Filipinos does not have
the knowledge about science, health, and medicine, thus, they believe that people who have an
illness was thought to be caused by another person, usually an enemy, or an evil spirits and that
the only one who can cure it were the God of Healing, priest-physicians, and herb doctors.
Similarly, in the Medieval Period, it was believed that illnesses were caused by evil spirits and
black magics, and they rely on the abilities of the shamans and the witch doctor.

Filipinos who were ill were often looked for by their female relatives. This can also be
compared to how women were considered to only take care of the sick and to look after their
children and their family. The era of nursing in the Philippines can be compared and related to
the Intuitive Period of Nursing or Medieval Period, not only because of the superstition and
beliefs that the both eras have in common, but also because of the education and the training the
nurses have.

The Spanish Regime then came. After being colonized by the Spaniards, that made a
huge cultural impact in our country, the Philippines. Spain introduced and brought with them
Catholicism, which influenced nursing. The apprentice period was referred to as the “on-the-job
training” period. Nursing that was developed during this time is performed without a formal
education thus, was performed by people who have more experience in nursing. Religious
Orders establish hospitals in the Philippines to help and nurse the sick. The hospitals built were:
Hospital Real De Manila (1577) was founded by Gov. Francisco de Sande and which was mainly
established to care for the Spanish King’s soldiers and Spanish civilians. San Lazaro Hospital
(1578) was founded by Brother Juan Clemente and was built exclusively for patients with
leprosy, comparing this to the middle ages, the Knights of Lazarus was also founded, primarily
for nursing and caring of lepers in Jerusalem. Hospital de Indios (1586) was established by the
Franciscan order; alms and gifts from benevolent people were used to finance the service.
Hospital de Aguas Santas (1590) was established in Laguna and was founded by Brother J.
Bautista of the Franciscan Order. Lastly is the San Juan de Dios Hospital (1596) that was
founded by the Brotherhood of Misericordia and the Hospitaliers of San Juan de Dios supervised
the operation, which was supported by alms and rentals and provided comprehensive health care
to the general population. (Nurselabs, 2020)
 During this period, male nurses were introduced, male nurses in the Philippines were
referred to as “practicante” or “enfermero”. Also, in this period, the religious orders in nursing
are heavily influenced which resulted in crowding and having poor sanitation that caused them to
become the source of epidemics and diseases. Despite that, important nursing personages like;
St. Clare, took vows of poverty, obedience service, and chastity, gave nursing to the sick and
afflicted. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the “Patroness of Nurses” and daughter of the Hungarian
King, used her wealth for the poor to make their lives happy and useful. And St. Catherine of
Siena, who was the first “Lady with a lamp” and reformer of society and church had an immense
impact on society during this era to get back the determination of nurses and the broken
healthcare system. On the contrary, in the Philippines Revolution, there are also important
personages mentioned. Jose Rizal's wife, Josephine Bracken, established a field hospital at a
Tejeros estate home. She cared for the injured at all hours of the day and night. Rosa Sevilla de
Alvero transformed their home into barracks for Filipino soldiers during the
Philippine-American War, which began in 1899. Emilio Aguinaldo's wife, Dona Hilaria de
Aguinaldo, founded the Filipino Red Cross under Mabini's influence. Dona Maria Agoncillo de
Aguinaldo – Emilio Aguinaldo's second wife, served as President of the Philippine Red Cross
branch in Batangas and provided nursing care to Filipino soldiers throughout the revolution.
Melchora Aquino, often known as "Tandang Sora," cared for the wounded Filipino troops and
provided them with food and shelter. When not in battle, Capitan Salome, a revolutionary
commander in Nueva Ecija, gave nursing treatment to the injured and lastly the revolutionary
commander in Laguna, Agueda Kahabagan, also offered nursing services to her men.

There was no formal education evident during the Intuitive and Apprentice Period of
Nursing, not until the Period of Educated Nursing started. During this period, the development of
nursing was strongly influenced by wars, arousal of social consciousness, the emancipation of
women, and the increased educational opportunities through the initiative of Florence
Nightingale through popularizing the Nightingale system, which states the importance of
Nursing Education and by founding the “The Nightingale Training School of Nurses”.
Meanwhile, formal nursing started in the Philippines when American missionary physicians and
nurses discovered they didn't have enough people. The Iloilo Mission Hospital School of
Nursing, Saint Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing, Philippine General Hospital School of
Nursing, and St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing were the first nursing schools established in
the country.

In the contemporary nursing era, nurses have become the center of healthcare. Nursing
involvement has expanded and become more specialized. Continuous developments in scientific,
technological innovation, and social change contribute to the healthcare that we have today. In
the present time, specifically in 1919, the 1st Nurses Law was passed in the Philippines,
governing the practice of nursing. The Board of Examiners conducted the first board test for
nurses in 1920, with 93 candidates taking the exam and 68 passing with the highest score of 93.5
percent. The theoretical test was given in the College of Medicine and Surgery's UP
Amphitheater. At the PGH Library, you will take a practical test. Lastly, the “Nursing Practice
Law” was passed into law. Many more advancements and developments will be made in the near
future in which these advancements can help the present and future healthcare system.
References

Book:

Kozier, B., Erb, G., Berman, A., Synder, S., & Frandsen, G. (2016). Fundamentals of
Nursing: Concepts, Process, and Practice. (10th Edition., Global Ed.). Philippines: Pearson
Education South Asia Pte Ltd.

Online Resources:

History of Nursing in the Philippines. (2009, February 10). Nursing Crib. Retrieved from
https://nursingcrib.com/nursing-notes-reviewer/history-of-nursing-in-the-philippines/

Nurseslabs Contributor. (2020, September 25). History of Nursing in the Philippines. Retrieved
from https://nurseslabs.com/history-nursing-philippines/

RNpedia. (2017, September 17). Historical Evolution of Nursing. Retrieved from