Final answer:
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the preservation of health practices and knowledge was mainly maintained by the Latin Church and monastic institutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nursing student has an adequate grasp of nursing history when stating that after the fall of the Roman Empire, knowledge of health practices was primarily preserved by the Latin Church and monastic institutions. With the collapse of the Roman Empire to Germanic invaders in the mid-fifth century, organized learning and funding for education declined significantly. The church emerged as the sole preserver of scholarly work, including that of medical knowledge and healthcare practices, during a period that later thinkers would label the 'Dark Ages.'