Space nursing

Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Atlas 6 earth-orbital space mission, confers with Astronaut Nurse Dolores O'Hara, R.N., during MA-6 prelaunch preparations.

Space nursing is the nursing speciality that studies how space travel impacts human response patterns. Similar to space medicine, the speciality also contributes to knowledge about nursing care of earthbound patients.^[1]

History

Since the beginning of commercial aviation in the 1920s, nurses have been part of aviation and flight. In 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act to form NASA. Part of this act was to recruit nurses to work closely with medical teams to determine the fitness of astronauts for space exploration. Nurses helped observe the effects of spaceflight on astronauts upon their return from missions.^[2]

Lt Dolores O'Hara and Lt Shirley Sineath were the first nurses assigned to work with the first seven Project Mercury astronauts. O'Hara was the official staff nurse to astronauts. Before every launch she performed the pre-flight physicals including height, weight, temperatures, blood pressure measurements.^[3] The astronauts would not agree to let anyone else but O'Hara drew blood before launch.^[4] They worked to develop emergency hospital kits for the astronauts. These nurses had to ensure that the astronauts could manage casualties, plan for disaster control, and provide first aid in the event of an emergency. Lieutenant Shirley Sineath was assigned as a surgical nurse on the recovery team.^[5]

In 1962. NASA announced the Space Nursing Program which required applicants to have a previous bachelor's degree in nursing.

In 1991, the Space Nursing Society was founded by Linda Plush with the help of Dr. Martha Rogers. It is based on Rogers' Theory, the Science of unitary human beings.^[6]

References

↑ Perrin, MM (Sep 1985). "Space nursing. A professional challenge". Nurs Clin North Am 20 (3): 497–503. PMID 3851391.
↑ Lay, F (1959). "Next stop--outer space". Am J Nurs: 59971–973.
↑ "Dolores B. "Dee" O'Hara on the NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project". NASA Johnson Space Center. 23 April 2002. https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/OHaraDB/OHaraDB_4-23-02.htm.
↑ "Nursing NASA astronauts". Space Boffins podcast (Podcast). The Naked Scientists. September 10, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
↑ Shayler David; Ian A. Moule (2006). Women in Space - Following Valentina. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-84628-078-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=pKENlNUWPEwC&pg=PA72.
↑ Rogers, Martha (1992). "Nursing science and the space age". Nurs Sci Q 5 (1): 27–34. doi:10.1177/089431849200500108. PMID 1538852.

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[1] Perrin, MM (Sep 1985). "Space nursing. A professional challenge". Nurs Clin North Am 20 (3): 497–503. PMID 3851391.

[2] Lay, F (1959). "Next stop--outer space". Am J Nurs: 59971–973.

[NasaOral-3] "Dolores B. "Dee" O'Hara on the NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project". NASA Johnson Space Center. 23 April 2002. https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/OHaraDB/OHaraDB_4-23-02.htm.

[podcast-4] "Nursing NASA astronauts". Space Boffins podcast (Podcast). The Naked Scientists. September 10, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2018.

[Shirley-5] Shayler David; Ian A. Moule (2006). Women in Space - Following Valentina. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-84628-078-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=pKENlNUWPEwC&pg=PA72.

[6] Rogers, Martha (1992). "Nursing science and the space age". Nurs Sci Q 5 (1): 27–34. doi:10.1177/089431849200500108. PMID 1538852.

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v t e Space medicine
Main areas	Artificial gravity Astronautical hygiene Bioastronautics Neuroscience in space Space exposure Space food Space nursing Space weather Weightlessness
Illness and injuries	Asthenization Ebullism Illness and injuries during spaceflight Medical treatment during spaceflight Space adaptation syndrome Space and survival Spaceflight osteopenia
Organizations	Aerospace Medical Association National Space Biomedical Research Institute Rubicon Foundation Space Nursing Society
Other topics	Adverse health effects from lunar dust exposure Cardiac rhythm problems during space flight Central nervous system effects from radiation exposure during spaceflight Effect of spaceflight on the human body Effects of sleep deprivation in space Epidemiology data for low-linear energy transfer radiation Sleep in space Health threat from cosmic rays Intervertebral disc damage and spaceflight List of microorganisms tested in outer space Psychological and sociological effects of spaceflight Radiobiology evidence for protons and HZE nuclei Reduced muscle mass, strength and performance in space Renal stone formation in space Spaceflight radiation carcinogenesis Team composition and cohesion in spaceflight missions Visual impairment due to intracranial pressure

Space nursing

Topic: Medicine

History

See also

References