NR 390 Week 3 Discussion, Nightingale Information New to You

Nightingale Information New to You (graded) The basic story of Florence Nightingale is familiar to most nurses. This week we learned more about Nightingale’s life and work. Select at least one piece of the Nightingale legacy that was new to you and tell us how this changed your understanding of this great woman and her contributions to nursing. List for nurses duties from 1887 (n.d.). Retrieved from I have to admit that I wasn’t very familiar with Florence Nightingale’s story. I remember the first day of nursing school, we spent maybe an hour discussing the history of nursing. What I remember from that lecture is learning that Nursing at one point was a profession looked down upon and that Florence Nightingale was a pioneer in nursing education. Not much about her personal story was shared in that class. Admittedly, the main reason I took this course was my curiosity into the beginnings of this profession. Being that she is such a big figure in nursing, I assumed we would discuss her life, achievements and impact on Nursing. From my readings for this discussion, I have learned the following about Florence Nightingale: • She was born on May 12, 1820 into a life of privilege to British parents. She had one older sister and they both chose different life paths. • Her family greatly opposed her desire to focus on Nursing. Women of that time were expected to marry and focus on raising a family. Florence chose not to marry and instead focus on studying and eventually dedicate herself to Nursing. • She left for the Crimean War and lead 38 other nurses to care for soldiers. During that time, she began efforts to establish sanitary conditions under which to care for the soldiers. • After the Crimean War, with the help of the Nightingale Fund (which was established by her supporters), she opened the first nursing school at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London. • She became very sick herself during the Crimean War, developing Crimean Fever. • Her “Notes on Nursing” is considered to be the first nursing education textbook. • She was the first female member of the Statistical Society of London. She gained this honor based on her collection and analysis of data used to make changes to improve patient outcomes. Florence Nightingale was a driven visionary who dedicated her life to the nursing profession. I found her story to be inspiring. It seems she embodied the idea of “finding your calling”. It’s amazing how one woman could make such an impact on an entire profession. It’s inspiring and makes me reflect on how I can make an impact on nursing myself. Judd, D., & Sitzman, K. (2014). A History of American nursing: Trends and eras (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Florence Nightingale Biography. Retrieved from