I. Period of Intuitive Nursing
During the Earlier time, nursing was done because of their compassion and their wish to help others. It was learned in the manner untaught, but instead everything was only based on their instincts. Some of these functions are taking care of the children, the sick and the aged, which roles mostly belong to women.
In the prehestoric time, people believe that when a person gets ill, the cause of this was because of an invasion of an evil spirit on the victim's body through the use of "black magic" or "voodoo". In such cases, they call somebody who has the power to heal the illness using "white magic", and that is whom they call the "SHAMAN" or "witch doctor" (albularyo). Earlier ways of healing was also through "TREPHINATION", which was done by drilling a hole on the victim's skull in the belief that the evil spirit and all bad elements will be released.
In time, men learns to change their lifestyles and discovers better options in nursing. People started learning to nurse using a scientific knowledge.
II. Period of Apprentice Nursing
Although people's knowledge in nursing are developing, there was still no formal education available. In that case, this was also the time wherein people will just learn nursing through the direction of a more experienced nurses.
This was also the time wherein religious orders has responsibility in the development in this kind of nursing.
Three important persons during this period are as follows:
A. St. Claire of Assisi - she was a very rich woman who took vows of poverty, obedient service and chastity. She gave nursing care to the sick and the afflicted.
B. St. Elizabeth of Hungary - a princess who's also known as the "Patroness of Nursing". She build hospitals for the sick and the needy. She humbled herself in feeding the sick with her own hands and made their beds herself. She was also responsible for the employment of people who were able to fish to provide for the needy.
C. St. Catherine of Siena - known as the "First Lady with the Lamp" and also as the "Little Saint", who became charitable by being a hospital nurse, prophetess, researcher and a reformer of society and church.
III. Dark Period of Nursing
This period was brought about by revolution and civil war. That is why hopsitals in this era were gloomy, cheerless and airless. Sanitation was very unpleasant and no people go to hospitals unless under compulsion or if it is their last resort. To keep safe, many nurses fled for their lives. There were no provisions for the sick, no one cared for the sick. In response, nursing became the work of women whose intention is mostly to take bribes from patients, steal food from patients and use alcohol as tranquilizer. That is why, this was the time where in people look at nurses with very low dignity.
IV. Period of Educated Nursing
This was thesame period during the time of "Florence Nightingale", who's popularly known as the MOTHER OF NURSING. This period was formed due to the result of what happened during war. It was also the increase of educational opportunities offered to women. With this, the dignity of nurses was again brought back. Meanwhile, many important events in this period were also the discovery of first rubber gloves, designed by Dr. William Halstead. And it was Caroline Hampton Robb who is the first nurse to wear gloves while working as an operating room nurse. On the other hand, a lot of nursing organizations has been developed to uplift the nursing profession. Two of those are The American Nurse's Association and the National League for Nursing Education. This was also the time for the preparation of Standard Curriculum based on educational objectives for School of Nursing.
V. Period of Contemporary Nursing
This covers the period after World War II up to the present. In which case, technology and science marks this period. This was also the establishment of the World Health Organization (WHO). Most importantly, this is also the development of the expanded role of the nurse, which gave way in making Nursing as a Dynamic Profession.