“The Lady With The Lamp”: The Life of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was one of the women who revolutionized nursing during the 1800s. Ever since she was young, she had a passion to help others. A calling from God was defined by her as a request to improve the well being of the ill and the poor. Florence faced many obstacles including her parents’ disapproval of her path. Despite the challenges she faced, she was determined to help the well-being of humanity. She accomplished her mission to become a nurse. Florence combined her knowledge of statistics and nursing to improve sanitation in hospitals and improve patients’ state of health. She changed the world’s view of nursing from a job for peasant women to a job that is held in high standards today. She worked tirelessly until the end of her life to prevent disease and help the poor and the suffering. Most know Florence Nightingale today as “the Lady with the Lamp,” because of her valiant efforts during the Crimean War. As a heroine of the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale improved conditions in hospitals, saved hundreds of wounded soldiers, and became the founder of modern nursing.
Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy. Florence was the younger of Frances “Fanny” and William Nightingale two daughters. She grew up as part of the wealthy middle class of England. Her mother, Frances, came from a line of wealthy merchants who held important positions in government. Her father, William, changed his last name to Nightingale in order to inherit his family’s wealth from his great-uncle, Peter Nightingale (Bostridge 18-19). As a result of her family’s social status, Florence lived in many grand villas in England for most of her childhood. She and her sister, Parthenope, were more privileged than most women during that time in regards to their education. Monitored by their father, Florence and Parthenope studied the classics (Greek and Roman history, philosophy, mathematics, etc.) to a very advanced degree. Florence was a brilliant writer and was able to speak at least five different languages. In addition, the sisters received Biblical studies in which Florence discovered her strong devotion to God. During the winter of 1836-1837, while in her bedroom, Florence claimed to have received a calling from God. She stated, “…God spoke to me and called me to His service” (Bostridge 54). God had not specified what she was supposed to pursue in order to complete her service to Him. This remained a mystery to her for most of her life until she concluded that God wanted her to work with Him in order to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Her first humanitarian experience is associated with the childhood story of Cap the dog. Florence nursed the dog to health after he was beaten and left stranded by a group of boys. Over the years Florence noticed the increased suffering of the villagers. Everywhere she went she would see “new levels of deprivation” (Bostridge 74). Florence began to visit and tend toward the villagers during the year of the flu epidemic (Bostridge 54). Even as a young girl Florence had a zeal to help others, which later changed into an interest in nursing.
Florence told her parents of her interest in becoming a nurse. Her parents were not supportive because of the notoriety of nurses at that time. Nursing was seen as a job for the peasant woman and nurses during that period were known to be alcoholics. Florence’s parents urged her to find a husband and to forget about becoming a nurse. Even though she had many suitors, she turned down marriage proposals to pursue her vocation. Despite her parents’ disapproval, Florence decided to go to Kaiserwerth in Germany to train as a nurse. There she was admitted into the Institute of Deaconesses at the Kaiserswerth, the best nursing institute in all of Europe at that time (Bostridge 143). After her studies, she wrote a thirty-two-page pamphlet, The Institution of Kaiserwerth on the Rhine, for the Practical Training of Deaconesses, about the success of the Institute (Bostridge 145). Upon returning home from Kaiserswerth, she learned of the new nursing institutes that were being founded by middle-class women like herself. In London, Florence worked at a hospital on Upper Harley Street and at Middlesex hospital where she significantly lowered the death rate by improving sanitary conditions. Her impressive performance earned her a promotion to superintendent.
While Florence was working at Harley Street, the Crimean War had begun and news of the victory at the Battle of Alma spread throughout England. Reading about the unsanitary conditions and dying soldiers, Florence decided that she had to go to Scutari. She wrote letters to the Secretary of War, Sidney Herbert, asking if she could travel to Scutari to help and, coincidently, at the same time he was writing to Florence requesting her service at Scutari hospital. She was quick to respond and gathered a core group of nurses, “fourteen Anglican sisters and ten Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy” (. When she arrived at the hospital she encountered a large number of wounded soldiers, the dreadful and filthy conditions, and the lack of dedication from the nurses already there. Florence immediately began her work by replacing flea infested rags that the soldiers slept on with fresh, clean linen. In addition, Florence improved the overall hygienic condition of the hospital environment. She worked to provide nutritious food to the wounded and ill soldiers and treated them with tenderness and care. Florence became well known and respected by many people in the hospital. During the night, Florence walked up and down the corridors with a lamp in her hand, checking on the soldiers, hence her nickname “The Lady with the Lamp,”. During her stay, she used a statistical method, known as the coxcomb diagram, to document the mortality rates of the soldiers. Her results concluded that her improvements helped to lower the mortality rate from 60 percent to 1.15 percent ("Death of Miss Florence Nightingale" 5).
Her efforts and enhancements to the condition of the hospital did not remain unnoticed. After the Crimean War, in 1856, Florence returned to her childhood home in England ("Death of Miss Florence Nightingale" 5). Despite the praise she received, Florence was a humble and modest woman who tried to hide from the spotlight. As a result of the praise, she received several awards. Queen Victoria awarded Florence with the Cross of St. George, a jeweled brooch, and a monetary reward ("Death of Miss Florence Nightingale" 5). Florence decided to use the monetary reward to fund the establishment of St. Thomas’ Hospital and in it, the Nightingale Institute for Nurses (). Near the end of her life, Florence received the Order of Merit award from King Edward, becoming the first woman to ever receive it.
In her late life, Florence was homebound due to a disease she had obtained during the Crimean War, but she still worked tirelessly. She continued to revolutionize health reforms by involving influential politicians. During the U.S Civil War, “she was frequently consulted on questions affecting the health of the army and assistance for the wounded in the field” ("Death of Miss Florence Nightingale" 5). Florence also was involved with public sanitation affairs in India for military and Indian citizens (Bostridge 395). Her most known publications are Notes on Nursing, Notes on Hospitals, Observations on the Sanitary State of the Army in India ("Death of Miss Florence Nightingale" 5). Florence Nightingale died in her home in London on August 13, 1910, at age ninety (Bostridge 519).
Throughout all of her life, Florence Nightingale made an effort to help the poor and ill, and at the same time improved the condition and structure of hospitals. During the Crimean War she used her knowledge of statistics and nursing to lower the mortality rate and improve sanitary conditions in the hospitals. Florence Nightingale’s work during the Crimean War and the rest of her life revolutionized nursing as an art and science. She is known as the “founder of modern nursing”(. Her accomplishments also include the restructure of nursing and the prevention of disease. Her dedication, vision, and engagement in nursing, healthcare, and humankind are still an essential and inspirational part of today’s nursing and medicine. Florence Nightingale’s legacy still lives on today and serves as an inspiration for every healthcare professional worldwide.