Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory

person as someone with psychological, intellectual, and spiritual components. This is evidenced by her acknowledgment of the importance of variety. For example, she wrote of “the degree . . . to which the nerves of the sick suffer from seeing the same walls, the same ceiling, the same surroundings” (Nightingale, 1860). A nurse was defined as any woman who had “charge of the personal health of somebody” whether well, as in caring for babies and children, or sick, as an “invalid” (Nightingale, 1860). Above all, nursing was “service to God in relief of man”; it was a “calling” and “God’s work” (Bostridge, 2008). All nursing actions were guided by the nurses’ caring, which was guided by underlying ideas about God. Nightingale placed spiritual needs of the patient right at the top along with caring for the patient. She taught about obedience in relation to nursing and this revealed that she was creating a profession that was based on the role of wife and mother. In her teaching, she tried to concentrate more on the lifestyle and moral conduct of the nurses, rather than their professional skills. The measurement of the art of nursing could not be accomplished

Florence Nightingale is known as the founder of modern nursing. Her contributions and influence not only to the nursing profession, but to the public health care system, is unparalleled. She was instrumental in establishing multiple processes and practices that are still in current practice. She has influenced many nursing theorist and prevailing theories during her career. Many of her changes continue to influence theory development today.

This paper will examine the origin of the nursing theory in reference to the Florence Nightingale Theory of Positive Manipulation Of the environment. Initially the paper will introduce the theorist and the context in which the theory was developed. Will critique the theory according to nursing theory critique. The paper will further describe the utility of the theory with respect to practice, administration, education and research will also examine the empirical precision of the theory(testability and logical adequacy). Infact the entire paper demonstrates the understanding of the theory.

The concept of environment and its integral role in the delivery of nursing care was among the first identified and documented nursing theory since its early days. Florence Nightingale pioneered the profession of nursing and along with it, pioneered the concept of nursing theory. Her environmental theory was patient focused and incorporated five environmental components needed to promote health. Jarrin (2012) supported that the role of nursing is to promote the best possible environment for the patient to assist in their natural reparative process. According to Rahim (2013), as considered as the profession’s first nurse theorist, Florence Nightingale provided the essential foundation in environmental theory. She believed

Grand theories are relatively abstract concepts and help to provide nursing knowledge in a general way. However, this theory is the most complex and widest in scope of the level of theory have been subdivided into Human needs, Interactive and Unitary process theories (McEwen, & Wills, 2014). For this reason, Nightingale’s Environmental theory is part of the grand theory because it encompasses different areas of nursing care. This theory incorporate knowledge made from observing the patient and critical thinking as contrast to empirical and medical care (McEwen, & Wills, 2014). Between these three subdivisions, Nightingale’s theory is also a Human Need Theory because she based her theory on how the environment cause changes in ill patients. Nightingale used inductive reasoning through observation and experiences to obtain laws of health, disease and nursing (pdf).

The environment theory of nursing is a patient-care theory. The delivery of patient centered care is the best delivery of care a patient can receive. Applying Nightingales environmental care theory of manipulation of the patient environment can affect the patient and assist in the delivery of quality of care. The concept of a clean patient environment has an effect on the patient’s recovery and the prevention of spread of diseases (Harvard Libraries, 2012). Using Florence Nightingales environmental theory and concepts will give a

The Environmental Theory by Florence Nightingale defined Nursing as “the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery” (Alice Petiprin, 2014). It involves the nurse’s initiative to make environmental settings appropriate to aid in the recovery of the patient’s health. According to Nightingale all external factors are somehow associated with the patient and affects their life physically, mentally, and socially (Alice Petiprin, 2014).

I will be summarizing Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not by Florence Nightingale. Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not was first published in 1860 with the last edition being published in 1969 (Adams-Wending, 2010). Nightingale’s theory addresses the importance of providing an environment that is conducive to the healing process for patients (Nightingale, 1860). Nightingale’s theory of the environment was based off the idea that disease was caused by smell of decomposing matter (Adams-Wending, 2010). The theory is broken down into thirteen “canons” of nursing (Nightingale, 1860). The thirteen topics within this theory are: ventilation and warming, health of houses, petty management, noise, variety, taking food, what food?, bed and bedding, cleanliness of rooms and walls, personal cleanliness, chattering of hope and advices, and observations of the sick. Nightingale (1860) states that ventilation is to make the air the patient breaths as fresh as the air outside. This also goes into detail of removing chamber pots

Florence Nightingale is known as the pioneer of nursing and evidence- based health care. Many believe that she was the founder of what we call modern nursing today. During her time as a nurse she had founded her school of nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in 1860 as well she wrote many nursing books such as Notes on Nursing wrote in

Florence Nightingale is very well known for transforming nursing in general as we know it. She viewed nursing as an art and educated nurses the proper practice of professional nursing. Her theory of practice focused on environmental adaptation that served as the foundation for promoting health (Cherry & Jacob, 2014, p. 80). Nightingale believed that a patient’s health and healing process was greatly affected by their surrounding environment. She described that ventilation, warmth, noise, diet, light, chattering hopes, and cleanliness were the standards of her theory (Cherry & Jacob, 2014, p. 81). Nightingale stated, “keeping the

The concept of environment and its integral role in the delivery of nursing care was among the first identified and documented nursing concept since its early days. Florence Nightingale pioneered the profession of nursing and along with it, pioneered the concept of Nursing Theory. Her Environmental Theory was patient focused and incorporated five environmental components needed to promote health. Jarrin (2012) supported that the role of nursing is to promote the best possible environment for the patient to assist in their natural reparative process. It dates back from the time of ancient Greek philosophers and historians, including Plato, Hippocrates, and Aristotle, whose works are studied by Nightingale in her early years. According to Rahim (2013), as considered as the profession’s first nurse theorist, Florence Nightingale provided the essential foundation in environmental theory. She believed that some laws of nature, when applied and integrated into nursing care, can assist individuals in restoring their health during their illness, and, in those who are already healthy, promote health and prevent illness.

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.

Florence Nightingale developed the environmental model theory of nursing. Nery, (2015) states that Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory of nursing, “focus primarily on the environment, interpreted as all external conditions and influences that affect the life and development of an organism, that are able to prevent, suppress or contribute to disease and death.” The four metaparadigm concepts of this theory consist of person, environment, nursing, and health. Within this theory, the patient is being cared for by the nurse, has been influenced by the environment, and has reparative powers (“Nursing Theories, 2011). Nightingale’s theory does not have a clear definition of the person; however, it can be inferred that the person correlates “in relation to the environment and the impact of the environment on the person’s health status” (Butts & Rich, 2018). The highlight of Nightingale’s theory is the environment. Both the external and internal environment needs to be in sanitary conditions. The environment concept of this theory contains “physical, psychological, and social” factors (“Nursing Theories, 2011). The goal of the nurse is the control the patient’s environment to achieve ideal health for the patient. Nightingale’s theory did not define health; however, she stated that nature itself can heal ailments (Butts & Rich, 2018). Nightingale (1859) stated that health is ‘not only to be well, but able to use well every power we have to use it.”

Nursing has made much advancement since Nightingale Environmental Theory but the focus on a healthy environment has remained the same. Pulliam (1997) noted in her article that Nightingales’ theory formed a solid foundation for nursing: fresh air, cleanliness, clean water, warmth, proper drainage, plenty of light, and stress free environment provided an optimum environment for healing.

Florence Nightingale is recognized as the first nurse theorist. She described nursing as both an art and a science. She recommended adjusting the environment to improve the person’s health. Theory development began with