Florence Nightingale Essay

“Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better,” (Nightingale). Florence felt that there was more to life than conforming to societal expectations. She believed humanitarian efforts were more important than just being a housewife. Florence Nightingale was resilient throughout her early life, a guardian angel in the Crimea War, and brought forward many important impacts on nursing, along with many awards.

Florence was a child with a thirst for knowledge, even if her parents didn’t support it. Florence was born on May 12, 1820 into a comfortable lifestyle. Along with that, she was taught history, philosophy, literature, and excelled in mathematics and many complex languages. She was a part of a liberal unitarian family and believed her calling was to reduce human suffering. Her parents forbade her to pursue proper training because a woman of her stature was expected to marry; however Florence eventually enrolled as a nursing student in 1850 at the Institution of Protestant Deaconesses. “In late 1854, Nightingale received a letter from Secretary of War Sidney Herbert, asking her to organize a corps of nurses to tend to the sick and fallen soldiers in the Crimea,” (Biography.com).

The “Lady with the Lamp” saves the “Kingdom of Hell”. It should be noted that the conditions in Crimea were so horrid that Nightingale was appalled and with the help of the thirty-eight women she brought with her, she took action. Florence got hundreds of scrub brushes and asked anyone who could to scrub the hospital from floor to ceiling. In the evenings, Nightingale would walk through the dark hallways with a lamp to aid patients, eventually earning her the title “The Lady with the Lamp”. “Others would simply call her the “Angel of Crimea” because of the other work she did for the hospital like: establishing an “Invalid’s Kitchen”, a laundry room, a classroom, and a library for the patients.” (Biography.com)

“Although primarily remembered for her accomplishments during the Crimean War, Nightingale’s greatest achievements centred on attempts to create social reform in health care and nursing,” (Selanders). Nightingale established a royal commission to reform the British military establishment. She later funded the installation of St. Thomas’ Hospital and thus, Nightingale Training School for Nurses.Considered to be the foundational philosopher of modern nursing, Florence published, “Notes on Nursing: What it is and What it is Not,” which directed how to manage the diseased. Nightingale received the title of Lady of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and was the first woman to receive the Order of Merit.

Florence Nightingale was resilient throughout her early life, a guardian angel in the Crimea War, and brought forward many important impacts on nursing, along with many awards. Florence established many important strides in nursing along with strides in women's rights. Nightingale believed her calling was to end human suffering and she succeeded with that tenfold.  For Florence, there was clearly more to life than being a housewife. "I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse," (Nightingale)