Florence Nightingale Research Paper

On May 12 1820, Florence Nightingale was born to wealthy English parents in Florence, Italy. Like her sister, Florence was given the name of her birth place. Florence’s sister, Parthenope was a socialite like her mother, while Florence favored her father’s love for books. Florence’s mother was very active and out spoken. Her father was known for being an avid reader yet lazy when it came to work. His wealth came from his uncle’s inheritance. A quiet man, Florence saw her father as an intelligent man who liked to study in the library. Although she spent countless hours reading with her father, she was unable to write until age 12 due to a weakness in her hands. Eventually her love of taking care of others began to blossom, and she credited …show more content…
Without hesitation, Florence volunteered to care for the wounded troops in Scutari. Aware of the overwhelming challenges ahead she felt called to bring her knowledge and skills to a place where they were needed. Immediately, she gathered 38 fellow nurses and headed off to the Crimean War. Upon arriving in Turkey, the nurses were dismayed to find the doctors were reluctant to accept help from them, even though the conditions in the hospital were horrible. The government ordered the army to allow Florence and her nurses into the hospital. But still some doctors thought Florence was an “insult and threat to their authority” and they disregarded the government’s orders. Eventually, Florence was allowed into the hospital at night, when all the doctors had gone home. She was given the name “The Lady with the Lamp.” She earned this name when she carried her lamp high in the air as it shone in the night. She was overwhelmed with the lack food, medicine, beds, cleanliness and overall supplies to care for the soldiers. Florence began attacking the problems including the rampant spread of cholera. As the number of soldiers increased, the doctors began to understand the need for Florence’s expertise and allowed all nurses unobstructed access to treat the wounded soldiers. The windows were very small and low. The filth and infestation cannot be adequately described. It was like a haunted house …show more content…
Shortly after, she began to plan a nursing school for women. In 1860, her school was officially open. After 27 years of running her school, Florence began to study army hospitals once more. Shortly after, she realized that all army hospitals needed to be improved. Day after day, week after week, she worked hard trying to make hospitals better, after some time, she wore herself out, and so she went to her Aunt’s house to recuperate. Even though she lived many more years she never truly recovered from this illness. Although weakened, she visited hospitals, giving advice to many nurses in training. Soon after, The International Red Cross, which provides medical aid based on the principles she introduced, was begun in 1863. Florence would spend her days working from a couch or a bed. Sadly, as she worked harder to improve hospitals conditions, she gradually became blind. On August 13, 1910, she died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 90. Florence Nightingale will forever be remembered for her tireless pioneering work in developing the prestigious profession of