Nurses at the beginning of the 20tH century in the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes in Lisbon

Abstract

Background: At the beginning of the 20th century, in Portugal, the Royal Hospital of S. José and its annexes centralized the care provided to patients in the Lisbon region, as well as in other regions of the country, where nurses played important roles in their organizational dynamics.

 Objectives: 

• To analyze the hospital organization in the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes in 1901;
• Identify the functions that the nurses exercised in the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes in 1901;
• Interpret the functions that the nurses exercised in the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes in 1901;

Material and Methods: This is a qualitative study of a historical nature, which reminds us of the past and can give rise to new ideas and, in this way, conceive a new structure for human thought and understanding, taking into account time, place and situations. For the realization of this study we resort to a primary source and secondary sources. As a primary source we refer to the “Regulation of Clinical Services of Hospital Real de S. José e anexos, 1901”, which is in the National Library of Lisbon. As secondary sources, we use articles and a doctoral thesis, found on the Google Academic digital platform.

Results: The general regulation of clinical services of the Royal Hospital of St. Joseph and annexes of 1901 is presented as an extensive document with 221 articles, covering seven major chapters. This regulation covered the following hospitals:

“1st - São José Hospital; 2nd - Hospital Estephania; 3rd - Queen Amelia Hospital; 4th - Rilhafolles Hospital ... This hospital has regulations and private regimen; 5th - Hospital of Desterro; 6th - Hospital of S. Lazaro; 7th - Hospital of incurable and isolation “(Regulation of the Clinical Services of the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes, 1901: 7-10, with)” (...) general regulation of services commom to the wards of all hospitals indistinctively, ... “(ib: p.6).

Conclusions: With the analysis and interpretation of this regulation we can see that the Royal Hospital of S. José and annexes was a strong reference for the provision of care to the patient, presenting several resources for them. Nurses were instrumental in ensuring such a phenomenon.