Early Beliefs, Practices and Care of the sick

• Early Filipinos subscribed to superstitious belief and practices in relation to health

and sickness
• Diseases, their causes and treatment were associated with mysticism and
superstitions
• Cause of disease was caused by another person (an enemy of witch) or evil spirits
• Persons suffering from diseases without any identified cause were believed
bewitched by “mangkukulam”
• Difficult childbirth were attributed to “nonos”
• Evil spirits could be driven away by persons with powers to expel demons
• Belief in special Gods of healing: priest-physician, word doctors, herbolarios/herb
doctors
Early Hospitals during the Spanish Regime – religious orders exerted efforts to care for
the sick by building hospitals in different parts of the Philippines:
Hospital Real de Manila San Juan de Dios Hospital
San Lazaro Hospital Hospital de Aguas Santas
Hospital de Indios
Prominent personages involved during the Philippine Revolution
1. Josephine Bracken – wife of Jose Rizal installed a field hospital in an estate in Tejeros
that provided nursing care to the wounded night and day.
2. Rose Sevilla de Alvaro – converted their house into quanters for Filipino soldiers
during the Phil-American War in 1899.
3. Hilaria de Aguinaldo –wife of Emlio Aginaldo organized the Filipino Red Cross.
4. Melchora Aquino – (Tandang Sora) nursed the wounded Filipino soldiers, gave them
shelter and food.
5. Captain Salomen – a revolutionary leader in Nueva Ecija provided nursing care to the
wounded when not in combat.
6. Agueda Kahabagan – revolutionary leader in Laguna also provided nursing services
to her troops.
7. Trinidad Tecson (Ina ng Biak na Bato) – stayed in the hospital at Biac na Bato to care
for the wounded soldiers.
School Of Nursing
1. St. Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing, Intramuros Manila – 1900
2. Iloilo Mission Hospital Training School of Nursing – 1906
1909 – distinction of graduating the 1st trained nurses in the Phils. With no standard
requirements for admission of applicants except their “willingness to work”
April 1946 – a board exam was held outside of Manila. It was held in the Iloilo
Mission Hospital thru the request of Ms. Loreto Tupas, principal of the school.
1. St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing – 1907;opened after four years as a dispensary
clinic.
1. Mary Johnston Hospital School of Nursing – 1907
 2. Philippines General Hospital school of Nursing – 1910
College of Nursing
1. UST College of Nursing – 1st College of Nursing in the Phils: 1877
2. MCU College of Nursing – June 1947 (1st College who offered BSN – 4 year program)
3. UP College of Nursing – June 1948
4. FEU Institute of Nursing – June 1955
5. UE College of Nursing – Oct 1958
1909
3 female graduated as “qualified medical-surgical nurses”
1919
The 1st Nurses Law (Act#2808) was enacted regulating the practice of the nursing
profession in the Philippines Islands. It also provided the holding of exam for the practice of
nursing on the 2nd Monday of June and December of each year.
1920
1st board examination for nurses was conducted by the Board of Examiners, 93 candidates
took the exam, 68 passed with the highest rating of 93.5%-Anna Dahlgren
theoretical exam was held at the UP Amphitheater of the College of Medicine and Surgery.
Practical exam at the PGH Library.
1921
Filipino Nurses Association was established (now PNA) as the National Organization Of
Filipino Nurses
PNA: 1st President – Rosario Delgado
Founder – Anastacia Giron-Tupas
1953
Republic Act 877, known as the “Nursing Practice Law” was approved.
Intuitive Nursing
• From Prehistoric times up to the early Christian Era
• Untaught and Instinctive
• Nursing performed out of compassion
• Nursing belonged to women
•
Apprentice Nursing
• From the founding of the Religious orders in the 11th century up to 1836 with the
establishment of the Kaiserwerth Institute for training of Deaconesses
• Period of “on-the-job training”
• Nursing performed without any formal education and by people who were directed by
more experienced nurses
• Important personalities in this period:
○ St. Clare-gave nursing care to the sick and the afflicted
 ○ St. Elizabeth of Hungary- Patrones of nurses
○ St. Catherine of Siena- First lady with a lamp
• Dark period of Nursing
• From the 17th century up to 19th century
• Nursing became the work of the least desirable of women
Educated Nursing
• Began on June 15, 1860 when Florence Nightingale School of nursing opened St.
Thomas Hospital in London
• Development of nursing was strongly influenced by trends resulting from wars, from an
arousal of social consciousness, from the increased educational opportunities offered to
women
Contemporary Nursing
• Covers the period after the world war II to the present
• Marked by scientific and technological developments as well as social changes