May 2020 marks 200th anniversary of birth of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) was the founder of modern nursing. Known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” she provided care for British soldiers during the Crimean War.
This year is the 200th anniversary of her birth.
She was born in Florence, Italy, on May 12, 1820, to William and Frances Nightingale, and was named after the city of her birth.
The wealthy family returned to England in 1821. They lived in Embley Park, a large estate in Hampshire.
Early years
Her father home-schooled her, teaching her Italian, Latin, Greek, philosophy, history, writing and mathematics.
As an affluent young woman, she was expected to become a wife and mother. After rejecting several suitors, she announced to her family that she wanted to become a nurse.
Nightingale was a member of the Church of England and possessed a strong faith in Christ. In 1837, she had a “divine calling” to serve others as a nurse.
She educated herself in the art and science of nursing. In 1850, she visited a Lutheran religious institute in Germany and received four months of medical training.
From 1853 to 1854, she served as superintendent at the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in London.
Her most famous role occurred in the Crimean War. In October 1854, she and a staff of 38 women volunteer nurses (whom she had trained) and 15 Catholic nuns were sent to Scutari, Turkey. Her team cared for British and Allied soldiers.
Her night rounds giving personal attention to the soldiers earned her the nickname — “Lady with the Lamp.”
Although she initiated handwashing and other hygiene practices in the hospital, Nightingale discovered that the wounded soldiers were receiving inadequate care. Short supply of medicines, bad ventilation and mass infections abounded.
She sent a message to England for help. The British government sent their Sanitary Commission to the hospital to clean out sewers and improve ventilation.
Nightingale was so proficient with data and numbers that in 1857 she became the first woman member of the Royal Statistical Society.
In 1859, she wrote “Notes on Nursing: What it is, and What it is Not.” It gave advice on good patient care and safe hospital conditions.
Lasting legacy
In 1860, the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London was founded. It was the world’s first secular nursing school.
Often bedridden from illness, she continued to advocate for safe nursing practices. She died in London on Aug. 13, 1910. She is buried in Hampshire.
International Nurses Day is observed annually on May 12 to commemorate her birth.
Share with others: