Nursing practice has evolved greatly since its beginning; from being given little respect to commanding a more powerful and respected presence in the healthcare world. Such great change did not happen overnight nor was it easy. Many influential women had a hand in changing the nursing profession. Lillian Wald, contributed a lot to the nursing profession, some of which is still pertinent today. Some of her major contributions include the creation of the title public health nursing, the creation of a national public health service, as well as proposing the idea of insurance coverage for home based care (Buhler-Wilkerson, 1993, p. 1778). Lillian Wald was born on March 10, 1867, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She came from an affluent family of Jewish …show more content…
The center offered services such as healthcare, social services, and education. It experienced massive success and “by 1913, the Settlement had expanded to seven buildings on Henry Street and two satellite centers, with 3,000 members in its classes and clubs and 92 nurses making 200,000 visits per year” (Our History: Lillian Wald, n.d.). The need for health as well as other social intervention in poor communities was beyond obvious. The Henry Street Nurses’ Settlement eventually led to the Visiting Nurse Service of New York City, which later became a separate entity (National Women’s History Museum, n.d.). Wald decided to move beyond the boundaries of New York City to create a national public health service. She teamed with the American Red Cross to create the American Red Cross Public Health Nursing Service. It was so successful that “at its peak during the 1920s, nearly 3000 Red Cross public health nursing services were active across the country” (Buhler-Wilkerson, 1993, p. 1781). Wald was clearly dedicated to the growth and expansion of the public health field. However, her dedication didn’t stop at the creation of more public health …show more content…
She provided proof to Metropolitan Life Insurance that home nursing care saved lives and would thus save them money. This resulted in Metropolitan Life Insurance Company hiring nurses to provide homecare to its customers. Care was provided nationwide through this arrangement which was beneficial to the insurance company and nurses employed. The mortality rate declined with policyholders and the availability of services increased. Contracts with the insurance company decreased discrimination in care for groups such as Blacks who lived in the (South Buhler-Wilkerson, 1993, p. 1782). Such an idea was not only new but brought positive change to public health