Florence Nightingale was a woman who revolutionized nursing in her time period and whose legacy still lives on today. Florence was born in 1820 in the city of Florence, Italy. She was a well-educated child who was taught by her father, a well to do man of Cambridge University. Florence’s family was of the higher class and her parents had numerous plans for her life. They had assumed she would get married and have a “respectable” job for such a well-off woman. However, in 1837, her parent’s plans for her went awry. While walking in one of the many gardens on her family’s estate, Florence claimed to have heard a “calling from God” to do his work. At the time, she had no idea what this work would be, but she vowed to find it and carry out whatever may be needed.
As time wore on, much to the anguish of Florence’s parents, she discovered an interest for social issues and began to visit hospitals and other homes for the sick. From this, Florence developed an interest in medicine and decided to become a nurse, despite her parent’s strong disapproval. Florence’s parents believed that nursing was not a respectable occupation for such a well-educated woman such as herself. However, Florence did not agree. The next year, Florence went to Kaiserswerth and spent three months getting her nursing degree.
In early the spring of 1854, Britain, France, and Turkey declared war on Russia. The war, which was fought mainly on the Crimean peninsula, an agricultural land located off the northern shore of the Black Sea, was won in September. However after it ended, reporters criticized the British’s medical facilities for the injured soldiers. Sidney Herbert responded to this critique by appointing Florence Nightingale, whom he knew through some of her earlier works, to introduce female nurses into the military hospitals in Turkey. On November 4, 1854 Florence and 37 other nurses she had recruited arrived at the Barrack Hospital in Scutari, a place where the landscape was bleak, and the skyline relatively flat.
The doctors at this hospital initially did not approve women in their workplace because the doctors believed they would be in the way and relatively useless. So, in the beginning the doctors shunned the 38 nurses. However, not too long after their arrival newly injured soldiers arrived, swamping the doctors with work and causing them to rely greatly on all of the nurses. During Florence’s service in the Crimean war, she was dubbed “Lady in Chief” of the nurses. She had many jobs at the Barrack Hospital, some of which included banking on behalf of the soldiers and sending their earnings back to their families. She also created many libraries, known as “reading rooms”, for the soldiers. As Florence did this, she gained the respect of a majority of the British soldiers. The introduction of female nurses to the military hospitals was such a success, the nation wanted to show Florence their appreciation for all the progress she had made. The nation did this by collecting money so that she could continue to practice nursing in the civilian hospitals in Brittan.
Florence’s greatest achievement was that she revolutionized nursing. She made it socially acceptable for women to work in medicine, which in the past had been viewed similarly to prostitution. She gave the job of nursing to many women across the nation and the world, which raised the standards of patient care forever.
As time wore on, much to the anguish of Florence’s parents, she discovered an interest for social issues and began to visit hospitals and other homes for the sick. From this, Florence developed an interest in medicine and decided to become a nurse, despite her parent’s strong disapproval. Florence’s parents believed that nursing was not a respectable occupation for such a well-educated woman such as herself. However, Florence did not agree. The next year, Florence went to Kaiserswerth and spent three months getting her nursing degree.
In early the spring of 1854, Britain, France, and Turkey declared war on Russia. The war, which was fought mainly on the Crimean peninsula, an agricultural land located off the northern shore of the Black Sea, was won in September. However after it ended, reporters criticized the British’s medical facilities for the injured soldiers. Sidney Herbert responded to this critique by appointing Florence Nightingale, whom he knew through some of her earlier works, to introduce female nurses into the military hospitals in Turkey. On November 4, 1854 Florence and 37 other nurses she had recruited arrived at the Barrack Hospital in Scutari, a place where the landscape was bleak, and the skyline relatively flat.
The doctors at this hospital initially did not approve women in their workplace because the doctors believed they would be in the way and relatively useless. So, in the beginning the doctors shunned the 38 nurses. However, not too long after their arrival newly injured soldiers arrived, swamping the doctors with work and causing them to rely greatly on all of the nurses. During Florence’s service in the Crimean war, she was dubbed “Lady in Chief” of the nurses. She had many jobs at the Barrack Hospital, some of which included banking on behalf of the soldiers and sending their earnings back to their families. She also created many libraries, known as “reading rooms”, for the soldiers. As Florence did this, she gained the respect of a majority of the British soldiers. The introduction of female nurses to the military hospitals was such a success, the nation wanted to show Florence their appreciation for all the progress she had made. The nation did this by collecting money so that she could continue to practice nursing in the civilian hospitals in Brittan.
Florence’s greatest achievement was that she revolutionized nursing. She made it socially acceptable for women to work in medicine, which in the past had been viewed similarly to prostitution. She gave the job of nursing to many women across the nation and the world, which raised the standards of patient care forever.
Sources:
http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/flo2.htm
http://www.florence-nightingale-avenging-angel.co.uk/scutari.htm
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?paragraphid=Mrr#Mrr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimea#Early_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War
http://www.florence-nightingale-avenging-angel.co.uk/scutari.htm
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?paragraphid=Mrr#Mrr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimea#Early_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War
