Publication: Interpretación doctrinal comparativa entre el manual “Arte de enfermería para la asistencia teórico-práctica de los enfermos que se acogen a la de los hospitales de la sagrada religión de H.P.S. Juan de Dios” (1833) y “Notes on Nursing: What it is, and What it is not” de Florence Nightingale (1860)
Authors
Mendoza Sánchez, Cristina María
item.page.secondaryauthor
Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
item.page.director
Navarro Perán, María Ángeles ; Maya Sánchez, Baldomero de ; Latour, Jos M.
Publisher
Universidad de Murcia
publication.page.editor
publication.page.department
Description
Abstract
La presente tesis tiene como objetivo examinar comparativamente los fundamentos doctrinales, filosóficos y prácticos del cuidado en dos obras canónicas del pensamiento enfermero: el Manual de Arte de Enfermería (1833), originado en el seno de la Orden Hospitalaria de San Juan de Dios, y Notes on Nursing (1860), escrita por Florence Nightingale. Desde una perspectiva hermenéutica e histórico-conceptual, el estudio aborda tres dimensiones centrales del conocimiento enfermero: los atributos higienistas, el saber y quehacer profesional, y los elementos sociales y espirituales que atraviesan ambas obras.
El objetivo general consistió en analizar cómo ambas tradiciones —católica y protestante— conceptualizaron y transmitieron el “Arte de Cuidar” en sus respectivos contextos históricos. Se identificaron además los destinatarios de cada texto, sus funciones pedagógicas, el enfoque sobre la salud y enfermedad, y su contribución a la profesionalización de la Enfermería en sus contextos religiosos y sociales.
La metodología empleada fue hermenéutica, centrada en la interpretación crítica de los enunciados textuales a la luz de sus contextos históricos, culturales y doctrinales. El estudio fue complementado con el análisis de fuentes secundarias y entrevistas con especialistas en historia de la Enfermería y ética del cuidado, lo cual permitió establecer un diálogo entre las ideas fundantes de cada autor y las prácticas enfermeras contemporáneas.
Los resultados evidencian que, pese a sus diferencias formales y confesionales, ambas obras constituyen expresiones profundas del cuidado entendido como práctica integral que abarca cuerpo, mente y espíritu. El manual de 1833 se enmarca en una vocación espiritual de hospitalidad y caridad, pero posee una sorprendente tecnificación y sistematización para su época. Nightingale, por su parte, propone una reforma sanitaria desde un enfoque laico, racionalista e higienista, orientado a mujeres cuidadoras sin formación previa.
Asimismo, el análisis comparado demuestra que ambos textos tuvieron impactos distintos en la profesionalización de la Enfermería: el manual juandediano influyó en contextos religiosos y hospitalarios del mundo católico, mientras que el de Nightingale marcó un hito en la institucionalización laica de la Enfermería moderna en el mundo anglosajón.
Una de las principales conclusiones es que la transición entre el modelo religioso y el modelo laico no representó una ruptura, sino una transformación gradual en la comprensión del cuidado, donde la ética espiritual y la técnica científica comenzaron a coexistir. Esta evolución permitió una ampliación del significado del cuidado enfermero, integrando valores humanistas con conocimientos científicos.
Finalmente, esta tesis reivindica el valor histórico y epistemológico del modelo católico de Enfermería, frecuentemente invisibilizado frente al relato dominante centrado en Nightingale. Se propone, desde la historia, una lectura crítica y plural del saber enfermero, entendiendo que este no es un saber técnico aislado, sino una construcción relacional, situada y profundamente humana. El estudio invita a una recuperación crítica del legado de San Juan de Dios y de Florence Nightingale, no como figuras opuestas, sino como pilares complementarios de una Enfermería integral
This thesis aims to examine the doctrinal, philosophical, and practical foundations of nursing care through a comparative study of two landmark texts: the Manual de Arte de Enfermería (1833), developed within the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, and Notes on Nursing (1860), authored by Florence Nightingale. Through a hermeneutic and historical-conceptual lens, this study explores three core dimensions of nursing knowledge: hygienist attributes, the epistemological and practical aspects of nursing, and the spiritual and social elements embedded in both works. The general objective is to analyze how the Catholic and Protestant traditions conceptualized and transmitted the “Art of Caring” in their respective historical contexts. The research identifies the intended audiences of both texts, their pedagogical purposes, approaches to health and illness, and their influence on the professionalization of nursing within religious and secular settings. The methodology is based on hermeneutic interpretation, critically analyzing textual statements within their historical, cultural, and doctrinal frameworks. This approach is complemented by secondary sources and interviews with nursing historians and ethicists, facilitating a dialogue between the foundational ideas of both authors and contemporary nursing practices. The findings reveal that despite formal and confessional differences, both texts express a profound understanding of care as an integral practice involving body, mind, and spirit. The 1833 manual is embedded in a spiritual vocation of charity and hospitality, yet it demonstrates a surprising level of systematization and technical detail for its time. Nightingale’s text, on the other hand, promotes healthcare reform from a secular, rational, and hygienic perspective aimed at untrained female caregivers. The comparative analysis highlights the distinct impacts each manual had on nursing professionalization: the Saint John of God manual primarily influenced religious hospital settings in Catholic regions, while Nightingale’s work was pivotal in the secular institutionalization of modern nursing in the Anglo-Saxon world. One key conclusion is that the shift from religious to secular nursing models did not represent a rupture but rather a gradual transformation in the meaning of care. The coexistence of spiritual ethics and scientific technique marked the emergence of a broader, more comprehensive understanding of nursing practice, blending humanistic values with scientific knowledge. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the historical and epistemological relevance of the Catholic nursing model, often overlooked in favor of Nightingale’s dominant narrative. It calls for a critical, pluralistic reading of nursing knowledge, recognizing it not as a purely technical domain, but as a deeply human, contextual, and relational construct. The study advocates for a revaluation of the contributions of both Saint John of God and Florence Nightingale—not as opposing figures, but as complementary pillars in the foundation of holistic nursing care.
This thesis aims to examine the doctrinal, philosophical, and practical foundations of nursing care through a comparative study of two landmark texts: the Manual de Arte de Enfermería (1833), developed within the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, and Notes on Nursing (1860), authored by Florence Nightingale. Through a hermeneutic and historical-conceptual lens, this study explores three core dimensions of nursing knowledge: hygienist attributes, the epistemological and practical aspects of nursing, and the spiritual and social elements embedded in both works. The general objective is to analyze how the Catholic and Protestant traditions conceptualized and transmitted the “Art of Caring” in their respective historical contexts. The research identifies the intended audiences of both texts, their pedagogical purposes, approaches to health and illness, and their influence on the professionalization of nursing within religious and secular settings. The methodology is based on hermeneutic interpretation, critically analyzing textual statements within their historical, cultural, and doctrinal frameworks. This approach is complemented by secondary sources and interviews with nursing historians and ethicists, facilitating a dialogue between the foundational ideas of both authors and contemporary nursing practices. The findings reveal that despite formal and confessional differences, both texts express a profound understanding of care as an integral practice involving body, mind, and spirit. The 1833 manual is embedded in a spiritual vocation of charity and hospitality, yet it demonstrates a surprising level of systematization and technical detail for its time. Nightingale’s text, on the other hand, promotes healthcare reform from a secular, rational, and hygienic perspective aimed at untrained female caregivers. The comparative analysis highlights the distinct impacts each manual had on nursing professionalization: the Saint John of God manual primarily influenced religious hospital settings in Catholic regions, while Nightingale’s work was pivotal in the secular institutionalization of modern nursing in the Anglo-Saxon world. One key conclusion is that the shift from religious to secular nursing models did not represent a rupture but rather a gradual transformation in the meaning of care. The coexistence of spiritual ethics and scientific technique marked the emergence of a broader, more comprehensive understanding of nursing practice, blending humanistic values with scientific knowledge. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the historical and epistemological relevance of the Catholic nursing model, often overlooked in favor of Nightingale’s dominant narrative. It calls for a critical, pluralistic reading of nursing knowledge, recognizing it not as a purely technical domain, but as a deeply human, contextual, and relational construct. The study advocates for a revaluation of the contributions of both Saint John of God and Florence Nightingale—not as opposing figures, but as complementary pillars in the foundation of holistic nursing care.
publication.page.subject
Citation
item.page.embargo
Collections
Ir a Estadísticas
Este ítem está sujeto a una licencia Creative Commons. Licencia Creative Commons