Although that conflict only lasted four months, 21 of the more than 1,500 nurses who served died, largely from tropical diseases contracted from their patients. Female nurses were not employed again until the Spanish-American War (1898), when the first contract hires were made to deal primarily with outbreaks of yellow fever, malaria, and other tropical diseases. As with the Revolution, however, they were civilian hires, not members of the military in either army.Īs before, the end of that war meant the end of the Army’s perceived need for such support, returning instead to only a small cadre of male nurses. A major step forward was made on June 10, 1861, when the Union named Dorothea Lynde Dix “superintendent of women nurses,” creating the first organized unit of U.S. Still working with no training, more than 6,000 served in both Union and Confederate hospitals and closer to the battle lines. Despite fighting two more wars – the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) – female nurses were not employed by the Army again until the Civil War. When the war ended, female nurses were dismissed. In 1901, Congress made nurses permanent members of the military by creating the ANC.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |