Objective:

Become acquainted with the characteristics of professionalization among nurses working at hospitals in Seville (Spain) during the 17th century.

Method:

This is a qualitative study of a historical nature approached through microhistory, with content analysis of seventeenth century statutes governing the Sevillian hospitals of Cinco Llagas, Espiritu Santo, Santa Caridad and Venerables Sacerdotes. Two paintings from that era are included as well.

Results and Discussion:

Nursing activity was found to be regulated by hospital authorities, and six features of professionalization were identified among the nurses who worked at Sevillian hospitals in the 17th century. Some hospitals had academic and training requirements for nurses in order to practice. Nurses were given training, and being a caregiver was held in high regard by society. There were nurses who, in addition to providing care, assumed hospital management duties and supervised paramedical tasks. Some nurses were paid in exchange for their work. The only feature of professionalization that was not verified was the regulation of curricular content in education, a shortcoming that prevented the process of nursing professionalization from culminating definitively.

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