Clara Barton Impact On History

1003 Words5 Pages

Clara Barton Throughout time, there have been many visionaries who have altered the course of history. Specifically, Clarissa Harlow Barton forever altered professional nursing through her war efforts and her drive to make the world a better place. The purpose of this essay is to provide rationale for Clara Barton’s significance throughout history. Also, the purpose of this essay is to describe the historical background of Barton’s life and accomplishments. Furthermore, this essay will explain the effect Barton had on the practice of professional nursing and provide a prediction of the future needs of nursing based on Barton’s legacy. The Rationale for Clara Barton To begin, Clara Barton was chosen because of her impactful legacy, her trailblazing character, and her lifelong passion and dedication to serving humanity and helping others. Barton’s efforts to provide wartime care during the Civil War and her work to establish the American Red Cross solidified her as an American icon. Moreover, Barton’s trailblazing character was illustrated when she rushed into battlefield to save lives, despite not having any nursing training. Furthermore, “one of Clara Barton’s most outstanding qualities was her almost complete disregard of precedent…She always had faith in …show more content…

Directly, her work during the Spanish-American War brought awareness to the importance of nurses on the frontline, which led to the formation of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 (Strickland, 2018). Furthermore, her establishment of the American Red Cross changed nursing by promoting nurses’ role as caregivers and advocates. The American Red Cross is still important today with natural disaster relief. For example, the American Red Cross provided safe refuge and care to those displaced during Hurricane Ian in September 2022. Most importantly, the greatest impact Barton had on the profession of nursing is her commitment to care for all those who need