The goddess and healing. Nursing's heritage from antiquity.

In prehistoric and ancient historical times, it was the Goddess who oversaw the health and well-being of human beings and women who controlled many healing processes, rituals, and practices. The professions of nursing and other health care fields owe much to this history yet have moved away from it in significant ways. Drawing on literary and archaeological sources, this study traces the history of healing in Graeco-Roman antiquity, describes the role of the Goddess and women in the healing function, discusses the communal aspects of healing both in the ancient world and in the modern West, and provides connections between the past and present that may empower today's nursing professionals.