Before the foundations of modern APN were laid down, nuns and military personnel offered nursing-like services to the public. It is for this reason that different religious organizations are regarded as patrons of nursing in general. For example, in its teachings, Christianity encourages people to look after the sick (Conrad, Haworth & Millar, 1993). Christ, the founder of this religion, led this by example when He healed the sick and raised the dead.
Informally, nursing was practiced in rural areas of Mississippi. In most cases, the nursing responsibilities were taken over by family members. The family members in this case can be regarded as FPNs of the time. In the early 1800s, most nurses were affiliated with different missionary organizations. Some came from as far as England. They were led by Wilfred Grenfell, a British Missionary. They provided healthcare services to Mississippi people under very challenging conditions. According to Conrad et al. (1993), this was what was referred to as traditional nursing. The works of Grenfell and other missionaries give the history of APN in America an international touch.
Other than traditional nurses, there were other nursing practitioners in Mississippi and the larger America. For example, in times of war, military nursing came into existence. Military nurses played a significant role in World War I. However, it was not until World War II that the nursing profession was transformed. Many of the nursing responsibilities were taken over by civilian nursing practitioners. However, in America, army and navy nursing practitioners were still held in high esteem, especially due to the critical roles they played during wars. For example, President Franklin praised the important contribution made by the nurses to the healthcare system during his reign. In 1945, he pressed for an induction act that raised the number of nurses not only in war services but also in the larger American society (Conrad et al., 1993).
The development of APN in Colorado is comparable to that in Mississippi. Henry Silver played an important role in the early development of APN in America. In the 1960s, he established programs to assist physicians in their work. In Colorado, Silver established the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program. It was the first such program in the nation. As a physician, he worked alongside Dr. Ford Loretta, who served as a nurse. The two established a working relationship between physicians and nurses. They realized that such collaborations led to better results among patients. Several programs came after PNP. They led to the establishment of APN in different states. APN aimed to help children and their families to access quality healthcare services (Conrad et al., 1993).
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