Misión Parsons: una reflexión sobre los efectos inmediatos para la implementación de la enfermería moderna

Abstract

Objective: to reflect on the immediate effects of the Technical Cooperation Mission for Nursing Development in Brazil, headed by Ethel Parsons. Method: this is a theoretical reflection on the immediate effects of the performance of the mission of nurses led by Ethel Parsons, covering the period from 1921 to 1931. Results: The Parsons Mission provided important effects for the implementation of nursing in Brazil, such as the creation of an Anglo-American nursing school, the first in the country to be organized and directed by nurses; a general care hospital that met the practice needs of these new professionals, linked to the nursing school; a service of public health nurses in the National Department, to which the school and services were linked; as well as the creation of emblems and institutional rituals, which conferred visibility and molds for the construction of a professional identity. Conclusions: The Parsons Mission in its 10 years of operation produced significant effects for the nursing profession in the country, which provided visibility to the figure of the registered nurse and opened paths for the profession to rise to more prestigious and active positions.