What is nuns as nurses?

Nuns have a long history of providing nursing care, dating back to the Middle Ages when convents and monasteries were often the only places where sick and injured people could receive medical attention. In the early days, nuns who were trained in nursing mostly focused on caring for the sick within their religious communities, but over time they also began providing care to people outside of their religious orders and even to soldiers during times of war.

Many of these early nursing nuns were trained by Florence Nightingale, who worked closely with the Catholic Church to establish nursing schools and training programs for nuns. Indeed, Nightingale is widely credited with helping to elevate nursing to a respected profession, and the work of the many nuns who followed in her footsteps played a critical role in establishing healthcare systems around the world.

Today, nuns who work as nurses can be found in many different settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and hospices. They continue to be respected for their dedication to caring for the sick and for the spiritual and emotional support they provide to patients and their families.