How long has nursing existed?

• A. Since humans have been ill
• B. Since the Renaissance
• C. Since the 19th century
• D. Since the Industrial Revolution

Answer: (A)

Caring for the sick is a universal, timeless practice that appears wherever illness exists. From ancient times, families and community healers tended to those who were ill, and religious orders and other caregivers supported them. The professional, trained role of nursing came later, built on these longstanding acts of care, but the existence of nursing itself stretches back to when humans first faced illness. The other historical periods mentioned mark when nursing began to be organized and formalized, not when it first began.