Nursing, history, and orthopedics in manuals (1875-1928)

OBJECTIVES: to discuss the content of manuals, with emphasis on orthopedics, in support of the development of nursing care culture. METHODS: cultural-historical method articulated with document analysis technique. The sources were nursing manuals - Portuguese, French, English, and Spanish - from 1875 to 1928. RESULTS: this study pointed to 12 works - 6 authored by physicians, 2 by nurses, 3 institutional, and 1 by a Sister of Charity - that presented, in a transversal way, the professionalization process initiated in Europe. The manuals addressed first aid care and immobilization methods, from the simplest, such as improvised splints, to the application of plaster casts. CONCLUSIONS: the nurses’ work, even in a limited capacity, showed that they were able to observe warning signs so that doctors could act, with some exceptions.