Florence Nightingale can be referred to nothing short of a legend of her lifetime. During her long and self-sacrificing years on earth, she revolutionized the field of nursing and changed the way it is viewed making her internationally accredited as one of the greatest pioneer’s in nursing that ever lived. It is even safe to say that we do not need another role model and icon pertaining to nursing because Nightingale changed the nursing profession for the better which shall never be forgotten. The television drama titled Florence Nightingale, released by BBC One, is a sixty minute view of the early years of Florence Nightingale, from 1837 to the Royal Commission into the Crimean War. As one views the film, it is not difficult to see that Nightingale had not only impacted the field of nursing during the 1800’s, but to this day, her effect on the field of nursing is clearly evident. The film focuses on how Nightingale revolutionized the role of nurses in the medical field, the visibility of nursing she provided to others by living an exemplary life, as well as events that have occurred because of her that have impacted the image of nursing. Nightingale was the very first person to recognize the complexities of nursing that led to difficulty in defining it (Black, 115). The scene in the film when Nightingale, with the help of her dear friend Sydney Herbert, was summoned by Queen Victoria for a brief meeting, demonstrated to the viewer’s her passion for nursing excellence.
Florence Nightingale was the founder for nursing. Even though Nightingale’s family was against the career of nursing, she pursued her passion of learning to care for the ill. She strived to help the people sick and in need. Nightingale showed her caring heart when she helped cure soldiers during the Crimean War. She showed her compassion as she helped the wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Over time, Nightingale noticed the unsanitary conditions at the base hospital. Since the conditions were extremely unsanitary, Nightingale recorded the mortality rate of the soldiers. According to her data, the soldiers hospitalized were seven times more likely to pass away from unsanitary environments rather than injuries from the
Nightingale, F. (1860).Notes on nursing: what it is and what it is not. New York:D.Appleton And Company.
Over the past two decades, EBP has expanded on Florence's theories. EBP constitutes the combination of clinical expertise, patient values, and research evidence when making decisions about patient care. In the 1990's, it was determined that just increasing knowledge was not sufficient for improving patient outcomes. To obtain better patient outcomes "new knowledge must be transformed into clinically useful forms, effectively implemented across the entire care team within a systems context,
However, Florence Nightingale changed nursing practice, where she was commonly referred to as lady of the lamp (Finkelman and Kenner, 2013). Nightingale established a domestic mode of nursing training in which education of nurses was about the information of character at the Saint Thomas Hospital (Carol, 2011). According to Nightingale the tasks of every nurse was not only to care for the sick but to act as a public agent of moral reform, and to weaken the power of medical men (Nelson, 2010). Rafferty (1996) argue that, nursing
Florence Nightingale was an immense impact on nursing, who “became famous for her revolutionary work as a nurse during the Crimean War” (Kent 30). “She dedicated her life to improving conditions in hospitals, beginning in an army hospital during the Crimean War,” (3 Registered). Her actions were then used by “concerned individuals, rather than by professionally trained nurses” during the Civil War, (Registered 279). Many of Nightingale’s ideas were brought into modern times, but with the improvement of technology and licensed nurses. With the influence and patience of Florence Nightingale, nursing has evolved into an outstanding career.
Florence Nightingale was an admirable leader because despite her gender she kept striving for what she wanted in a world ruled by men. She had determination, honesty, integrity, and respect from her peers. She fought diligently for women to receive an education and developed renowned ways of how to prevent and treat illnesses. She made improvements that benefited society, the population and as well as her peers. She was a leader that put others before herself and wanted equal success for all. She was committed to her mission and with that she showed that a nurse should have compassion. This relates to nursing being both an art and a science. She emphasized the need for empathy, as she believed that being empathetic could also help improve with recovery. Nightingale took initiative in the work she did and as a leader you need to take action and be proactive. An important contribution Nightingale made that has impacted our education and also improved the environment was her hadnwashing theory. She implemented hand hygiene and that helped prevent infection and illnesses. Florence Nightingale is an example of which nurses should follow. We must be leaders and take action. Nursing is not just a job, but it is a profession where you protect the rights of others and at the same time help people in their
Imagine a room in a hospital; you are lying on a bed, with linens since your admission, the room is very cold and dark at the same time, without proper ventilation. The bathroom you have does not have proper drainage; outside environment is as noisy as having a construction site as a neighbor. Health care providers come in just for the job and merely not care about you; their hands are not even clean and washed. Imagine these kinds of situation, what kind of environment are you having? Do you a place to heal or a place to die? Since the beginning of Modern Nursing, these scenes are commonly practiced and are usual in a way that it is considered a normal place to rest and be taken care of.
When one hears the name, Florence Nightingale, the word nurse is instantly paired with it because of her contributions to nursing. Florence Nightingale became a national heroine after nursing the British troops at Scutari in the Crimean War during 1854-56 and became a pioneer for nursing using sanitary and administrative techniques. According to editor, Lynn McDonald, in Florence Nightingale- An Introduction to Her Life and Family: Collected Works of Florence Nightingale, Vol. 1, “Nightingale’s work on the foundation of nursing was a life-long preoccupation, but it was a part of a broader concern to reform public healthcare, prevent disease, and promote health” (84). However, many historians believe her ignorance of sanitation caused the death toll at Scutari to rise.
Florence Nightingale a systemic thinker and a “passionate statistician” (McDonald, 2001). According to McDonald (2001) Nightingales work in nursing and social reform was informed by religious faith or philosophy that favored a systemic approach. The goal of nursing has remained unchanged, since the time of Nightingales model, nursing is to provide a safe and caring environment that promotes patient health and well-being.
Having the strength to provide care at all times, coupled with a compassionate, and committed nurses, my mother can be sure of that Florence Nightingale’s legacy will live on for the next centuries because of the meritorious job we, nurses can endow with, otherwise she wouldn’t persuade me to become one. gmbr®™
Nursing has evolved as a scientific discipline and is starting to emerge into professional status. One of the great leaders in nursing who helped this change take place was Florence Nightingale. Nightingale is considered as a pioneer in the nursing profession. She has contributed a lot in the field of nursing and her works are considered as assets, and will be remembered for many years.
Florence Nightingale has been recognized as the first nurse. Her actions and writings have had a tremendous effect on the nursing field and future nurses 7. Her teachings of strength, care, and perseverance have inspired me while I have pursued a career in Nursing. With her lessons in mind, I have continued to learn several important characteristics while attending my Nursing course this semester. Nursing is a profession that encompasses the importance of professionalism, nursing attributes, and responsibilities, inter-professionalism, communication skills, equal care, QSEN qualities such as evidence-based practice, reducing medical errors, quality, and safety of patients.
Florence Nightingale was an English nurse whose efforts in the Crimean wars saved a lot of lives. She was a revered for her role in professionalizing the profession leading to many of the standards of nursing we know today (Gill & Gill, 2005). During the Crimean War, she led a team of nurses and it was the level of professionalism exhibited by her and her team that led to her fame. What was unique about her team is that she had personally trained most of them. Along with being a medical revolutionary she was also a firm feminist, she campaigned for more civil liberties for women. One of her main accomplishments as a feminist was the abolishment of laws that were too harsh on women especially
One of the most unrevealed facts about Florence nightingale is that she encountered several obstacles during her nursing career. The medical profession was not supportive of her holistic approach to healing. During the Crimean war, many soldiers were dying of preventable diseases due to poor sanitations and inhuman condition. She proposes way to improve the survival rate of the wounded soldiers. But she encountered resistance in the military. According to Simkin, J., (2014) many members of the military and doctors objected to her ideology to revitalize the medical setting for the hospitalized soldiers.
Throughout Notes on Nursing, Florence Nightingale expresses the importance of proper care to patients. Another factor of nursing that was effected by Nightingale is the professionalism of nursing and how nursing is not only a science, but an art. Nightingale states how numerous subjects in nursing should be improved upon. The specific chapters that show how Nightingale has improved nursing within Notes on Nursing were Light, Personal Cleanliness, Chattering Hopes and Advices, and Ventilation and Warming. In chapter 9, Light, Florence Nightingale emphasizes the impact of sunlight on the patient and how it improves their health. Personal cleanliness was reviewed in chapter 11. Nightingale explores the importance cleanliness has on a patient. Within chapter 12, Nightingale states how to properly advise the sick, as well as give hope to patients. In chapter 1, Ventilation and Warming, Nightingale states the need for pure air within a patient’s room. These chapters express the importance of properly taking care of patients. The focus of this paper is how it was applied during Nightingale’s time and how it is still relevant today in nursing practice. The chapters within Notes on Nursing have had a profound impact on the practice of nursing today.