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Essay about History of Nursing: Florence Nightingale

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Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on May 12, 1820. Even in her early life, Florence would find it necessary to help the sick people in her community. As the years went on Florence realized nursing was her future because it was her divine purpose. Her parents were not enthused by her plans to become a nurse and even prohibit her to pursue nursing. It was frowned upon in this time period of a woman with her social background to become a nurse. It was actually in the rights for her to marry a man of means, but when Florence was seventeen she declined to marry the man who offered her hand in marriage. She had her reasons for not accepting the proposal, she new she did not have time for a marriage at this time in her life. …show more content…

Without hesitation, Nightingale looked at different types of religious orders and brought on thirty- four nurses (Biography Channel). Nothing could have been done to prepare Nightingale and her nurses for what they were about to experience. The hospital was a disgrace, patients laying in their own specimens and rodents and insects could be seen scurrying across the floors. It was no surprise that the majority of patients were dying of infectious diseases rather than the initial injury (Nightingale 1914, P 34- 35). Supplies were running out rather fast and it was difficult to find soap and even bandages. At times it would be required to ration out water amounts to the patients. This disgusted Florence; I mean who would not be completely sickened out by this? However, the independent Florence Nightingale did not panic and quickly came up with a plan to bring this hospital back to its original power. The hospital was scrubbed from top to bottom and Florence spent any free time she had with her patients. She soon became known as “the Lady with the Lamp” because when she did her nightly routine she carried a lamp with her. Another nickname she encountered was “the Angel of the Crimea” because she decreased the death rate by two- thirds (Biography Channel).
Eventually Florence drew up a plan in order for the patients to heal fast and more efficiently. She said there were five basic substances every patient needs for securing healthy living spaces and they are: pure air, pure

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