Nursing Image - Dorothea Lynde Dix - Essay Example

Nursing Image By Care of the sick is one of the oldest practices in recorded history. However, the health practices continued to change throughout history, mainly based on science and technology. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, in the late 18th Century, the role of nurses was acknowledged, and institutions were set up to train nurses. From this period, the field of nursing has experienced different changes. These changes were inspired by different practitioners in the field of nursing. There are important nursing figures in history that have influenced positive change in society, based on the nursing needs of the people in society. This paper focuses on Dorothea Lynde Dix, an influential nursing figure in the 19th Century, who is considered to have contributed significantly to the practice of nursing, specifically, mental health at her time. Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-1887) made a significant contribution to the state of mental health in the United States during the period starting late 19th Century. She is remembered for pioneering mental assylums in the United States. Dorothea Dix is regarded as a “voice for the mad” (Muckenhoupt, 2004). Her contribution to the improvement of the lives of the mentally ill people in the United States cannot be compared to that of any other person in the history of nursing. Mental health is an important aspect of nursing, thus all mentally-ill patients deserve good nursing and care, just as other patients. According to Parry (2006), evidence shows that Dorothea might have been a victim of neglect from her parents, thus this might have influenced her to advocate for the well-being of mentally ill people in society, who were equally neglected at most times. In the year 1841, Dorothea Dix volunteered her time and knowledge to the East Cambridge jail, where she held one hour of devotion with female inmates in that jail. While on this mission, Dorothea Dix realized that those inmates that were mentally-ill were living in poor conditions. For instance, these were chained in filthy and cold cells (Parry, 2006). Dorothea therefore, after making this observation, was committed to ensuring that the mentally-ill inmates lived in good conditions, and not the one she had witnessed. The health of inmates is an important aspect in any country, and this falls under the field of nursing. Most inmates have no power over their health, as while in prison, they cannot control the circumstances surrounding their health, such as the quality of the cells, among other aspects. It is the role of prison management and government to ensure the good health and living environment for inmates. In the United States, the mentally ill people lived in deplorable conditions, be it at home, prison, reformatories, and poorhouses. However, this was a fact that was well-hidden by the concerned parties. Dorothea Dix was therefore, the first person to ensure that this fact was publicised. She undertook various efforts and followed the right procedure to bring this sensitive issue to the public limelight. In the year 1841, Dorothea reported the situation of mentally ill inmates that she had witnessed to the local court. Although the charges of Dix were spurned, this did not stop her. She went ahead and made this case public. Thereafter, there were considerable efforts to improve the living state of mentally ill inmates in the United States (Parry, 2006). Dorothea Dix engaged in the process of researching different prisons and poorhouses in the state, putting to use her research skills. At the beginning of the year 1843, Dorothea Dix presented her case to the legislature of the state. With the influence of other powerful men that supported the causes of Dorothea, the legislature was persuaded to see to the expansion of the state hospital for the insane at Worcester. This did not mark the end of Dorothea’s efforts. She proceeded to other states in the United States, and later included Europe in her campaign for better living conditions and health for the mentally ill in society. She therefore, grew popular in different areas for her efforts to influence legislators into ensuring that the mentally ill persons lived in good conditions, and were healthy (Muckenhoupt, 2004). Dorothea Dix also made a contribution to the field of nursing by changing the perception held during her generation that nursing was seen as a male occupation. For instance, during the period of the civil war, the nurses were men. Therefore, women were not allowed to attend to injured soldiers during the war, as they were considered too weak for the job. However, Dorothea in the year 1861 changed this perception, and from then, women started to be considered as competent as men in nursing wounded soldiers. Dorothea achieved this by convincing the military superiors that women were as good as men in nursing soldiers. She therefore, started a recruitment program, where she recruited appropriate females to serve together with her in nursing soldiers during the war (Parry, 2006). Dorothea Dix showed great concern for her nurses, as well as the soldiers, and ensured that the latter received great care. After the initiative of Dorothea in recruiting females and together with them, taking care of the army, results showed that army nursing improved highly. Dorothea ensured that soldiers received adequate medication, and in cases where medication ran out of supply, Dorothea would source medicine from other private sources. After the war, Dorothea returned to her life and continued to travel across America and Europe, campaigning for the good conditions of the mentally ill people (Parry, 2006). She gained support from different people, and this helped to boost the improvement of the lives of mentally ill people. By the year 1880, Dorothea Dix directly influenced the founding of 32 hospitals for the mentally ill people, out of the 123 mental hospitals that were in the country at this time. This was an increase of 110 mental hospitals in the country since the year 1843, when Dorothea began her campaign for better conditions for the mentally ill people. In the year 1843, the whole of United States had only 13 hospitals for the mentally ill. In Massachusetts, the Worcester, which is presently referred to as the Worcester State Hospital, underwent expansion, all because of the advocacy of Dorothea Dix. The expansion was aimed at ensuring that more mentally ill patients were accommodated. This hospital therefore, expanded from its initial 120 beds only to 320 beds, thus accommodating more mentally ill patients (Anonymous, 2009). In her memorial to the legislature of Massachusetts, Dorothea Dix indicates that, “I come as an advocate of the helpless, forgotten, insane and idiotic men and women; of beings, sunk to a condition from which the most unconcerned would start with real horror; of beings wretched in our Prisons and more wretched in our Aims-Houses” (Dix, 2006: p. 623). Dorothea Dix played an instrumental role in improving the state of mental health in the United States and parts of Europe. She spearheaded the founding and expanding hospitals for the mentally ill. Her involvement in national and international movements helped to change the perception held in the United States that people with mental illness were incapable of being cured or being helped (Anonymous, 2009). Dorothea Dix was also opposed to the cruel treatment that was given to mentally ill people in the United States. The mentally ill people were also neglected, and subjected to negative practices such as incarceration without clothing, caging, and painful physical restraint, among others (Parry, 2006). Therefore, together with her civil work, the efforts of Dorothea Dix contributed to the creation of the first assylums for mentally ill people in American. The efforts of Dorothea Dix also led to the mentally ill people in the United States to be treated with more compassion. Mental health is an equally important aspect in nursing. Therefore, mentally ill patients require medical care like patients suffering from other illnesses. According to Okpaku (2014), the nursing practitioners concerned with mental health have a role to help mentally ill patients to make positive changes in their life. It is important that all mentally ill patients in various places be taken good care of. This is despite them being in prison, homes, or poorhouses; as they deserve to be accorded good medical care. In conclusion, Dorothea Dix remains an important figure in the field of nursing, considering the significant contribution she made with regard to the state of mental health in North America and Europe. Apart from playing the roles of a humanitarian, educator, and reformer, Dorothea largely engaged in patient advocacy by fighting to ensure that mentally ill patients in North America and Europe lived in jails and assylums that had good conditions. As a nurse, Dorothea can be considered to be a pioneer of patient advocacy in nursing. This is because she was the first nurse in the United States to fight for the good living conditions of mentally ill patients. Nonetheless, patient advocacy is a core value, which is considered to lay the foundation for all the other aspects of care in nursing. References Anonymous, Dorothea Lynde dix. (2009, Apr 05). Telegram & Gazette Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/269047114?accountid=45049 Dix, D. (2006). "I tell what I have seen"-the reports of asylum reformer Dorothea Dix. American Journal of Public Health, 96(4), 622-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215088429?accountid=45049 Muckenhoupt, M (2004). Dorothea Dix: Advocate for Mental Health Care. New York: Oxford University Press. Okpaku, S. (2014). Essentials of Global Mental Health. New York: Cambridge University Press. Parry, M. S. (2006). Dorothea Dix (1802-1887). American Journal of Public Health, 96(4), 624-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215086715?accountid=45049 Read More