In the 16th century, who was recruited to care for the sick due to a shortage of nurses?

• A. Male criminals
• B. Female criminals
• C. Monks
• D. Schoolteachers

Answer: (B)

Shortage of nursing care in the 16th century happened after the dissolution of religious houses, which had long provided women to tend the sick. With those sources gone, authorities looked to whatever labor was available to fill the gap, including female inmates in prisons. Female criminals were recruited to care for the sick because they could be supervised, organized into ward duties, and used as a practical way to staff hospitals at a time when qualified nurses were scarce. This reflects how care work was often filled by the most reachable labor pool, and why that option makes the most sense in this historical context.