The Development of Nursing:
Henry Dunant and Clara Barton
Henry DunantThe Red Cross brings medical and humanitarian assistance to thousands around the world each year. Henry Dunant and Clara Barton are two important individuals in the creation of the Red Cross. Though both Dunant and Barton were passionate about helping others, they were very different. Their unique characteristics allowed for the complete organization of the Red Cross. Henry Dunant was a business man who knew nothing about medicine. When he first saw the horror and inhumanity of war at the Battle of Solferino, his life was changed. Dunant wrote A Memory of Solferino in response to his experience, and he distributed the book to powerful leaders in Europe. In response to Dunant’s book, a group decided to call an international conference in Geneva. Before the conference, Dunant, Moynier, Dr. Appia, Dr. Maunoir and General Darfour created the foundation for an international humanitarian agreement, known as the Geneva Convention, and a system of national Red Cross Societies (pamphlet). At the conference in 1864, the delegates decided on the symbol of a red cross on a white background as the universal sign for the Red Cross. In 1867, Dunant goes bankrupt, and he ultimately finds work in a village hospital. In 1901 Henry Dunant is honored to be one of the first two recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. His death on May 8, 1928 is commemorated by World Red Cross Day.
Clara BartonWhile Dunant organized committees for recognition of the Red Cross, Clara Barton was out on the battlefield putting her life at risk to help soldiers. Like Henry, Clara Barton was changed after witnessing the horrors of war. She saw the need for help in the Civil War and began volunteer work during battles. Barton “paid equal attention to the personal services that kept up the men’s spirits: she read to them, wrote letters for them, listened to their personal problems, and prayed with them,” and by caring for the soldiers as complete humans, Barton practiced a holistic approach to care (Red Cross). Upon sailing to Europe in 1869, Barton met Dunant who had successfully founded the Red Cross movement. During the Franco-Prussian War, Barton first wore a red cross as an internationally accepted symbol of the volunteers. After returning to the United States, Barton worked diligently towards ratification of the treaty by the President, and in 1882 President Arthur signed the treaty congress ratified it. The combined work of Dunant and Barton led to the international acceptance of the Red Cross as an organization for humanitarian and medical aid. Today the Red Cross transcends boarders, race, and affiliation to bring help to those in need.
Red Cross
Red Cross Nurses
Every year the Red Cross responds to over 70,000 disasters world wide. Even though now Red Cross is a well-recognized organization, it started from meager beginnings. More specifically, nurses played an important role in the Red Cross throughout time. One of the first documented disasters that nurses contributed to the Red Cross was the 1889 Johnstown floods and the 1888 Yellow Fever epidemic. But not until 1909 was the Red Cross Nursing Services formally established by Jane Delano. She was an important figure in nursing. Not only did she establish the Red Cross Nursing Services, she was also the head of the Army Nurse Corps until 1912. In 1912, the American Red Cross Rural Nursing Service began, focusing on providing classes and instructors to women throughout the U.S. This service was led by Lillian D. Wald, who was a pioneer in her own time of public health nursing. Soon, rural nurses traveled in her local areas by bicycle and horseback to provide care. Eventually during World War I, the Red Cross expanded and nurses from all over the country volunteered. Numbers as high as 18,000 American Red Cross nurses served in the Army, and Navy Nurse Corps and the first African American nurses came about during this time. Many of the other deployed nurses provided care for the European cities and populations devastated by war. The nurses that stayed home worked particularily for the deadly influenza epidemic in 1918. In 1919, representatives from Red Cross organizations of Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and the U.S., collectively, met in Paris. There, they founded the League of Red Cross Societies. Years later, in 1947, the President signed a bill creating a permanent nurse corps for the military causing the primary purpose for Red Cross Nursing Reserve to diminish. From then on, the Nursing Reserve focused on providing services local communities throughout the U.S. and disasters world wide (Nursing History)
Currently, the Red Cross has more than 30,000 nurses actively providing their services on volunteer and paid basis. The Red Cross has a Red Cross Nurse Enrollment Program, which eligible to any registered nurse who is licensed, graduated from an accredited school or school of nursing, and also has given at least 20 hours of volunteer or paid service to the American Red Cross. Not to mention, there is a Student Nurse Program in which one can qualify for, if volunteered or paid for 10 or more hours with the American Red Cross.The Red Cross also provides many classes on Disaster Aide and Preparedness through its website that is available to anyone interested as well for nurses.
Red Cross Volunteers But volunteering for the Red Cross is very important in that ethics are critical because you are representing a larger organization and not just yourself. Making the correct choices in disaster chaos is crucial and can have Red Cross liable for any mistakes or errors of the volunteers. It is known that everyday nursing has its ethical decisions but during a disaster it is all the stress comes a greater reward of valuable service provided to the people.
Red Crescent
Red Crescent volunteers and search dog in Iran
The Red Crescent is the world’s largest humanitarian organization that coexists with the Red Cross under the institutional name of “The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent.” The Red Crescent is specifically used in many Islamic countries in place of the Red Cross. Their mission is simple: to assist and improve the live of individuals who are in situations of high risk that could easily threaten their survival. Four main goals are emphasized throughout the Federation's programs and National Societies: promoting humanitarian principles and values, responding to disaster, preparing for disaster, and providing health and care in the community. Through these main goals, the Federation hopes to provide communities with adequate information and training in order to help vulnerable people fight against their life threatening situations (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2005).
150 Jordanian Red Cresent volunteers build camp
In an effort to influence the behaviors of the individuals that The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent works with, they stress seven vital fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. The organization practices the principle of justice by treating everyone equally without discrimination and impartiality. In a world of hate and violence, the Federation acts upon their belief that every individual in every community deserves the same amount and level of care along with respect for and cooperation with other individuals (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2005).
Red Crystal
The new Red Crystal symbol
The “Red Crystal” is a new addition to the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and is meant to be utilized as a non-denominational logo. The new logo is a red shaped square tilted to its side, appearing as a diamond. For many who are familiar, the Red Cross and Red Crescent are affiliated with religious, political, and cultural implications. To resolve cultural differences, the Geneva Conventions adopted a third practice to allow non-Christian or Muslim cultures to keep their own traditions, “The Conference will be asked to amend the statutes of the Movement, to take into account the creation of the new emblem, in order to realize the objective of universality” (Red Cross Red Crescent, 2006). The function of the Red Crystal is identical to that of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in that people are able to do volunteer work and to provide public health services and “to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity” (Red Cross Red Crescent, 2006). By government laws, the Red Crystal is respectively considered of equal status to the Red Cross and Crescent.
Red Cross, Red Crescent & Red Crystal Emblem
Furthermore, humanitarian values will indeed be practiced under the new official emblem. The main ideas for the new society, the Red Crystal, are to protect and serve in danger without discrimination according to race, gender or religious beliefs. The Red Crystal seeks to provide awareness and allow diversity to diverse cultural backgrounds. It is important to understand and simply be culturally sensitive to those not viewed as a “majority” cultural group in order to enhance humanitarian values. The Red Crystal is a new society, but will follow the given values from its sister alliances (the Red Cross/Crescent societies): humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. Humanity and impartiality consist of being compassionate to human beings, by pursuing anti-discrimination and giving “solely by [the patient’s] needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress” (Red Cross Red Crescent, 2006). Neutrality involves not favoring a particular culture or race in order to provide the best health care as equal human beings. Lastly, the Red Crystal seeks to echo the Red Cross and Crescent societies in volunteer work, contributing the most effective methods of medical treatment to continue to promote a humane atmosphere (Red Cross Crescent, 2006).
Disaster Strikes: Hurricane Katrina
Nurses in Action at LSU Hurricane Katrina Disaster ReliefHurricane Katrina hit the north-central Gulf Coast in late August of 2005. Listed as a category five hurricane, the storm killed 1,836 and rendered entire cities of people homeless (Brown, 2006). Nurses were involved as volunteers deployed through the Red Cross, nursing schools, and other volunteer organizations. Nurses also worked in their original hospitals in the damaged area. Tulane Hospital in particular is highlighted for the extreme measures taken by the nursing staff, doctors, and heads of the hospital. Throughout the disaster, Tulane hospital staff rearranged the hospital to avoid flooding and debris and took care of 120 patients plus evacuees who had moved into the hospital before the floods made it impossible to enter by ground. The hospital was operated completely by generators and without running water. The staff worked for days to eventually evacuate all patients and staff by helicopter from a makeshift heli-pad on the roof of the hospital. Many decisions had to be made during the disaster on the part of the health care team. For example, the medical team had to make decisions as to who would be evacuated first. Ultimately the newborn babies and their mothers were chosen. The head of the medical staff at Tulane Hospital also had to make the decision between allowing evacuees to stay in the hospital despite not having enough supplies or leaving them in the superdome without proper care.
Male Nurse volunteerNurses, in particular, during the disaster moved away from traditional practices that they had been taught and had to learn to work with what they had. Melissa Bless, a RN from Michigan, was deployed through the Red Crossto volunteer for two weeks in the Gulf Coast Region. With a specialty in Cardiac Care, Mrs. Bless planned on working in a hospital. However, she was assigned to a special needs shelter for evacuees. She described the experience as emotionally and physically exhausting.
“Well, I quickly realized that living and working in a disaster shelter, everything I had done for years under hospital regulations was history. In these situations and time of need you work with what you have and pray for the best”. There are no sinks in every room, but strategically placed hand sanitizer amongst rows of cots where people are "living." No charts, but alphabetized folders placed in an egg crate. No pyxis or med cart, but a makeshift pharmacy in a storage closet, and your patient's meds are kept in a plastic bag, then stored in a Craftsman toolbox. Flexibility and team work become your motto” (Johnson, 2006).
Such measures show how extreme the situation was. Although nurses may have been trained with a background in ethics, not all of these principles were applicable. Part of the professional value of human dignity involves protecting the patient’s privacy. However, in many cases, the care area for patients in the devastated Katrina area was a large room with many cots. Specifically in Tulane Hospital, patients had to be routed into certain rooms away from windows and far above ground meaning multiple patients had to be placed in rooms together without curtains ultimately denying privacy. Although safety superseded other principles at certain times, nurses in the area never lacked the professional value of social justice or altruism. With a wide variety of cultures represented in the region this was extremely important. Overall, values of ethics could be seen throughout the disaster (Johnson, 2006).
Pediatric Nurse at LSU Hurricane Katrina Disaster ReliefThe significance of the role of nurses shines through the eyes of the ones who experienced their compassion for helping others. Each volunteering organization takes their own approach in adding to all the help that people need. In each approach, nurses must consider their values in acting upon ethical principles. From their actions, the impact nurses make on the affected population show that the altruistic act of lending some helping hands makes a difference in the outcome of a traumatizing event.
References
A Memory of Solferino. Retrieved November 6, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/p0361
American Red Cross. Retrieved November 13, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.redcross.org/
Brown, A. CNN.com. Retrieved October 10,2006, From World Wide Web at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0508/29/asb.01.html
Carey,B. (2006) Leave No One Behind (First Edition). Nashville: Clearbook Press.
Clara Barton. Retrieved November 6, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.wcredcross.org/general/clara.html
Henry Dunant. Retrieved November 6, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.wcredcross.org/general/henry.html
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. Retrieved November 10, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.ifrc.org
Johnson, S. Nursing Spectrum. Retrieved October 10, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.nursingspectrum.com/Katrina/PATriState.cfm
News: Joint press release: additional emblem for the international red cross and red crescent movement. Retrieved November 13, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/News/pr05/9405.asp
The seven fundamental principles. Retrieved November 14, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.ifrc.org/what/values/principles/index.asp
Who we are, Principles and Values. Retrieved November 22, 2006, From World Wide Web at: http://www.ifrc.org/who/index.asp
