Florence Nightingale Biography - The Founder of Modern Nursing

Florence Nightingale was a social reformer. She is the founder of modern nursing. She is among one of the most prominent names in the field of nursing and the healthcare industry. Because of her contribution as a nurse during the Crimean war, she is known as Lady with the Lamp. The name was popularized because of her night shifts and visits to the patient while she was serving as a nurse during the Crimean war. She was also a trainer of new nursing students. The general principle of nursing that is studied to date by healthcare professionals is given by Florence Nightingale. According to Florence Nightingale's biography book, she was also the founder of the first secular nursing school in the world, school was established in St Thomas' Hospital in London, which is now a part of King John’s College. 

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Figure illustrating Florence Nightingale.

The Life of Florence Nightingale

The early life of Florence Nightingale

She was born on 12 May 1820  in Florence Tuscany, Italy. She was named after her birthplace. Florence was born into a wealthy family, her parents were William Edward Nightingale and Frances Nightingale. Her mother was commonly called Fanny. Her father William Edward Nightingale inherited his estate at Lea Hurst. Although Florence was born in Italy she moved to England in  1821, with her family. Nightingale was brought up in the family homes they owned at Embley, Hampshire, and Lea Hurst, Derbyshire. Florence had an elder sister named Frances Parthenope. 

Her mother, Frances Nightingale belonged to a family of wealthy merchants, she was a socialite, she took pride in socializing with the elites of Britain. Fanny belonged to the family of abolitionists and Unitarians. The term abolitionist was used to define a person that supported the abolishment of formal or informal slavery. Florence was greatly influenced by the ideologies of her mother. Although many biographers mention that Florence and her mother will get on odds as young Florence was not socially comfortable being the centre of attention.

Her father, William Edward was born with the name of William Edward Shore, he inherited his estate from the family and with that, he inherited the title of Nightingale. He was the owner of the estate at Lea Hurst, Derbyshire, and the other at Embly, Hampshire.

She was brought up in a liberal household, both of their parents encouraged their education, they studied subjects like mathematics, philosophy, science, classics and history, according to several Florence Nightingale biography books she was more academically expert in comparison to her sibling. She also studied languages like German, French and Italian.

Florence was very active in philanthropy from an early age, she ministered to the poor and ill families living near her estate, because of her love and interest in serving people she decided that it was her divine purpose in life.

The life of Florence Nightingale took an unexpected turn when she announced her dream to pursue a career in nursing. Although her parents were supportive of her education it was against the social norms of elite women to have a job. According to various historians and biographers, a Victorian woman was supposed to marry a suitable man and carry on the name of their family. Her decision to pursue a professional career was strongly opposed by her mother and sister. The Florence Nightingale short biography also suggests that this decision led to more strains in her relationship with her mother.

Influential people in Nightingale’s life

Florence belonged to an upper-class British family, although pursuing a career was seen as a menial lifestyle; travelling was often encouraged among the elites of the society. Needless to say, the early education and the ideologies of her parents greatly influenced the mindset and principles of young Florence; she was also influenced by people she met during her travels. Among such people, Mary Clarke and Sidney Herbert are exceptionally mentioned in Florence Nightingale biography books. Mary Clark was an author and a hostess, she was one of the closest friends of Florence. She was well known for eccentric views, she believed in the equality of genders and the right to financial independence which was greatly valued by Florence.

Sidney Herbert, whom she met in Rome in 1847 was a prominent politician, he also served as the Secretary at War from1845 to 1846. Sidney Herbert and his wife played instrumental roles in the reforms in nursing during Nightingale’s term in the Crimean War. Benjamin Jowett, Charles and Selina Bracebridge are among the close friends and influencers of Florence Nightingale.

Education

Nightingale gained her primary education at home; she was taught subjects like science, history and philosophy. After announcing to her family that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing in 1844, Nightingale moved to Germany to study nursing and medicine. She was enrolled in the  Institution of Protestant Deaconesses in Kaiserswerth in the year of 1850. Although her parents were not supportive of her decision, the Nightingale biography documented that she was given an annual allowance of five hundred euros by her father, which allowed her to pursue her career and have a modest life.

Crimean war

 Nightingale moved back to England after completing her studies in the early 1850s, she was then employed as a nurse, dedicated to her work ethic she was soon promoted to the position of superintendent. The post required her to train young nurses, she also volunteered in the Middlesex Hospital around this time, where they were facing a cholera outbreak. Florence made her mission to lower the death rates by improving the hygiene and sanitary practice in the hospital.

Crimean war broke out in October 1853. The British and French armies fought against Russian Empire for control of Ottoman territory. More than 18000 British soldiers were admitted to military hospitals, the hospitals were ill-equipped and had low sanitation. It was during this war that Nightingale took the position of a trainer and served in the hospital to treat the victims of the war, on 21 October 1854, she and the staff of 38 women volunteer nurses that she trained, and 15 Catholic nuns were sent to the Ottoman Empire, under the authorisation of Sidney Herbert. 

Nightingale then served at Selimiye Barracks in Scutari with her team. They reached there early in November 1854. The team discovered poor hygiene and a shortage of supply of food and medical resources as well as medicines in the camp. She also reported the overworked condition of the medical staff. She sent the official report to the government asking for better resources and hospitals. In response to her pleas,  Renkioi Hospital, a civilian facility run under Dr Edmund Alexander Parkes’ management was built. It had a death rate of less than 1/10 th than that of Scutari. Nightingale reduced the death rates from 42 per cent to 2 per cent.

Apart from focusing on the sanitary conditions of the hospitals, she also focused on preparing a diet suitable for meeting the nutritional requirements of the patients. She also suggested the instalments of libraries and other entertainment facilities to mentally stimulate and maintain the patient’s mental health. She was known for her continuous routine check-up of the patient, because of this she was named "the Lady with the Lamp." Some people also called her "the Angel of the Crimea."

Recognition of work

According to Florence Nightingale's short biography, she left Crimea in the year 1856, after presiding over a year and a half at the hospital and serving as a nurse. She returned back to her father’s estate at  Lea Hurst, although her parents were not very fond of her decision at first she was given a welcome of a hero as mentioned in many Florence Nightingale biography books. She was then honoured by the queen of England, Queen Victoria, who presented her with an embedded broch. This later in history was popularized as "Nightingale Jewel". She was also granted an amount of $250,000 from the British government.

Florence used the money given to her to open the first school of nursing in the establishment of St. Thomas' Hospital. The school was named Nightingale Training School for Nurses. She was publicly admired; it was because of her that the profession of nursing was popularized. Seeing her many women belonging to the elite class of society tempted to join the nursing profession. It was because of her that nursing was now considered an honourable vocation rather than a menial task.

Florence received many accolades, among them the Order of Merit by King Edward, and the Freedom of the City of London. She was awarded both of the prizes in 1907, she became the first woman to receive the honour. In May 1910, she received a celebratory message from King George on her 90th birthday.

Works of Florence

Upon returning from the war Florence did not stop. According to many science historians, Florence was continuously bedridden but this did not stop her from working towards her goal. She remained in her father’s estate and wrote Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army. She also wrote the report published in 1858, which was focused on analyzing her experience and proposing reforms for other military hospitals. It was her tireless efforts that led to the establishment of a Royal Commission for the Health of the Army in 1857. 

She worked throughout her life to develop more sophisticated methods of nursing, her books and practices are used as the primary principle of nursing to this date. Apart from establishing and teaching nursing in Britain, she was also a very good statistician and had an international influence.

Nightingale used her skills to create coxcomb pie charts on patient mortality in Scutari that greatly influenced the field of medical epidemiology. She also tutored Linda Richards, "America's first trained nurse" in 1871, she was a prominent influence on the women in the field of medicine throughout the second world war and during the 1920s. An interesting fact that was revealed in the Florence Nightingale biography is that she served as an authority on public sanitation issues in India for both the military and civilians. She has never travelled to the country during her lifetime.

Death and Legacy

Nightingale did not marry as she strongly believed in her goals and was sure that marriage was not the path for her, although she was not married she had many suitors. One of the most prominent suitors of Florence was the politician and poet Richard Monckton Milnes. 

Nightingale fell ill in August 1910 and eventually succumbed to death on13 August 1910, at the age of 90. She died in her home at Mayfair, London. She is buried in Mayfair, London.

On her remembrance, The Florence Nightingale Museum, which was built at the original site Nightingale Training School for Nurses, houses more than 2,000 artefacts commemorating the life and career of the "Angel of the Crimea."