Florance Nightingale

So I was just doing a little research on nursing and the history of nurses and Florance Nightingale showed up on Wikipedia. So I decided to look into her story.

Florance Nightingale was born into a rich family, upper class, British family in Florance, Italy. She was born on May 12, 1820 (the same date that International Nurses Day is celebrated). In 1844 she decided to enter nursing. Her family was against it, but she wanted to join claiming it was a calling from God that she could not refuse. She worked hard as many factors were against her. She was courted many times but refused due to her intense dedication to her work.

Her biggest contribution was in the time of the Crimean War. There were a shortage of medical staff so Nightingale instructed 38 volunteer nurses. When she got to the temporary barracks hospital in Scutari (Istanbul) she saw that the soldiers where being poorly cared for and the conditions in which they were, were unsanitary and caused an increased death rate. Nightingale took it upon herself to improve these conditions she improved the sanitation conditions of herself and called upon the Sanitary Commission. By doing so she was able to reduce the death rate from 42% to 2%. Six months into her time Scutari (Istanbul) the death rate took a turn for the worst and soldiers were dying from typhus, typhoid, cholera and dysentery. The Sanitary Commission stepped in and found that due to the overcrowding of the hospital the sewers were dysfunctional and ventilation was poor. Improving these conditions decreased the death rates dramatically. Through this experience Nightingale found that sanitation was a big part of recovery and health, so later in her career she emphasized and promoted the importance of sanitation. She created sanitary standards and designs for hospitals.

She is known for her title as "Lady with the Lamp", she was so dedicated to her work that she went from bedside to bedside throughout the night carrying her Lamp with her.

In 1883 she was rewarded the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria. She died in 1910, even though she is long gone her legacy lives on. She is a very inspiring person and devoted her entire life to nursing. Her efforts in sanitation revolutionized the medical field. Her book Notes on Nursing explained simple health practices, and this book was used in the eduction of nurses, creating a stronger and more efficient workforce.

Her dedication was such that her whole life was devoted to this occupation. So much so that a syndrome was named after her. The Florance Nightingale Syndrome is when a caregiver, typically a doctor or nurse, develops and emotional attachment to a vulnerable patient in their care. May progress into a sexual attraction. Ring any bells? Grey's Anatomy usually showcased a plot similar to this in the season.

If I could be half the nurse she was I think that would be amazing!! Do you know of any nurses who contributed to the medical field in such an amazing way or do you know a nurse who is simply just AMAZING (in my opinion I feel like all nurses are amazing!!)