Why Is Florence Nightingale Important To Nursing

Superior Essays
The Lady with the Lamp The air is putrid; the moans of dying soldiers fill the room, the ground on which they lay upon— cold and wet. When it seems like there is no hope for survival, a faint light appears in the distance. The light that heals wounds and cares for the soldiers like no other— the light of “The Angel of the Crimea” (“Florence Nightingale” Bio) or popularly know as Florence Nightingale. Born into a rich British family, Nightingale strayed from her promising future of wealth and ease, and answered her calling by becoming a nurse. After her schooling, it was clear to many people Nightingale would soon master many great things. She lived her life determined to change the way healthcare was practiced in her time period. Florence Nightingale, a world-renowned heroine, known for founding modern nursing, saved the lives of thousands of soldiers with merely a candle and determination. Born on the 12th of May, 1820 in Florence, Italy; Florence Nightingale proved herself to be unlike her two older siblings. Being born into a wealthy British family, she was expected to marry a man of her own social class and become a housewife, but she had a plan of her own. At a very young age, Nightingale was very interested in preaching to the sick and poor in her community. By the time she was sixteen, she knew …show more content…
One of her books, Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency, and Hospital Administration of the British Army, consisted of her experiences and the conditions she worked in. These 830 pages changed the War Offices outlook on the treatment of their soldiers. In 1859, she published Notes on Hospitals which focused on how to properly run hospitals (“Florence Nightingale” Bio). Little did she know her writings would be read worldwide and cause great improvements within hospitals around the

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