Nightingale’s attention to international medical research and developments was just one factor behind her ability to make effective interventions in public health. This was relatively new advice, first publicised by Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis in the 1840s, who had observed the dramatic difference it made to death rates on maternity wards. If her face, too, so much the better.ĭuring the Crimean War (1853-1856) Nightingale had implemented hand washing and other hygiene practices in British army hospitals.
In her book Notes on Nursing (1860), she wrote that:Įvery nurse ought to be careful to wash her hands very frequently during the day.
#Who was florence nightingale how to
And her ideas on how to stay healthy still resonate today – as politicians give official guidance on how best to battle coronavirus.įor example, although Nightingale did not fully subscribe to the idea that many diseases are caused by specific micro-organisms known as germs until she was in her sixties, in the 1880s, she was well aware of the importance of hand washing. Her approach to caring for wounded soldiers and training nurses in the 19th century saved and improved countless lives. The Crimean War, she was put in charge of nursing.Florence Nightingale, who was born 200 years ago, is rightly famed for revolutionising nursing. Lady of the Lamp” because she hardly took time off to sleep.įlorence became a true hero to the soldiers and everyone back home inįlorence Nightingale - An online story book about her lifeįlorence Nightingale was the daughter of a well-to-do family in England. Visit the soldiers at night when every one was asleep just to make sure Were then able to properly care for the ill and wounded and the deathįlorence was very dedicated to her job. Set up a kitchen, fed the wounded from their own supplies, dug latrinesįor sanitation, and asked for help from the wives of the wounded. (Only one in six diedįrom their war wounds the other five in six died from infections andįlorence and her nurses changed these conditions. Most soldiers died from infections and disease. As a result, theĭeath rate amongst wounded soldiers was very high. In these conditions diseases such as typhus, cholera and dysentery spread quickly. Many of the wounded were unwashed and were sleeping in overcrowded,ĭirty rooms without blankets or decent food. She found the hospital conditions to be in a very poor She traveled to Scutari (the location where the woundedĪnd ill soldiers of the Crimean War were taken) to help the wounded soldiers. In 1854 Florence Nightingale was asked to go to Turkey to manage the nursing of British soldiers wounded in the Crimean War In 1853 was running a hospital in London.ġ849 - traveled to Europe to study the European hospital system.ġ850 - traveled to Alexandria, Egypt and began studying nursing at the Institute of Saint Vincent de Paul.ġ851 - aged thirty-one, went to Germany to train to become a nurse.ġ853 - became superintendent of the Hospital for Gentlewomen in London. Eventually in 1851 her father gave his permission and Florence went to Germany to train as a nurse. Nightingale felt called by God to become a nurse.Īt seventeen years of age, she believed she was called into service by God “to do something toward lifting the load of suffering from the helpless and miserable.”Īt first her parents refused to allow her to become a nurse because, at that time, it was not thought to be a suitable profession for a well educated woman. She cared for sick pets and servants whenever she had the chance. He taught Florence and her sister a variety of subjects ranging from science and mathematics to history and philosophy.Īs Florence grew up she developed an interest in helping others. Florence was very lucky because her father, William Nightingale, believed that all women should receive an education. At the time when Florence was born, many girls did not receive any type of education. Rich English girls such as Florence were expected Her summers) and Hampshire ( where she spent her winters). She was brought up in Derbyshire (where she spent
Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on. When and where was Florence Nightingale born? The face of nursing from a mostly untrained profession to a highly skilledĪnd well-respected medical profession with very important responsibilities.
Florence Nightingale was a truly inspirational nurse.įlorence Nightingale is famous for her nursing work during the Crimean War