Nursing dates far back into ancient times, where woman were seen as the caregivers. However, the science of the profession was initiated by a famous nurse over 100 years ago in the late 1800's, under the leadership of Florence Nightingale. Nightingale's accomplishments and Notes on Nursing are considered the first guided steps of the journey that made modern nursing the profession it is today.
Nursing notably developed during war times. Nursing was commonly provided by woman in religious institutions and the military. Many nurses were nuns who cared for the sick and injured during the war. Gradually, during this time some of the very first nurses demonstrated training and skills to improve conditions and modern nursing was born. Before the 1800's nurses had very little formal education or training (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 2005). During the 1800's, several nursing figures stand out in history. Many of them served on the battlefields during war times where the demand for nurses became the greatest.