500+ Words Biography of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was an English social reformer, statistician, the founder of modern nursing and reformer of hospital sanitation methods. She was born on 12 May 1820, in Florence, Italy. Whenever the noble job of a nurse is remembered, only one name clicks in mind and that is Florence Nightingale. Her legacy is etched in the annals of history, and her impact on healthcare remains profound.
Early Life and Family Ties
Florence Nightingale parents, William Edward and Frances Nightingale, were rich. She resided mostly in Derbyshire and Hampshire in England. She received a thorough classical education from her father. Florence was the second of two daughters. Her father changed his surname to Nightingale after inheriting his great-uncle’s estate in 1815.
The Nightingales split their time between two homes: Lea Hurst in Derbyshire and Embley Park in Hampshire. Embley Park, a large estate, became their primary residence, while Lea Hurst provided summer retreats and London hosted social seasons.
Early Nursing Career
Florence Nightingale was good at studies. She was beautiful too. It was expected that she would make a good marriage. But she felt an urge from her heart to serve the sick as if she heard the voice of God. She dedicated her life to the nursing service. She started visiting the homes of the sick and a number of hospitals and nursing homes. In those days, nursing was not considered a reputable profession for girls of noble families. But Florence was eager to take it as her mission. She received three months’ training at Kaiserwerth, and after that, she was offered to fill a vacancy as superintendent of the establishment for sick women at Harley Street in London in 1853.
The Crimean War
During the Crimean War (1853-1856) against Russia by Britain, France, and Turkey, Nightingale was stirred by the reports of inadequate nursing facilities at British barrack hospitals in Turkey. She rushed there and was appointed to oversee the introduction of female nurses into hospitals in Turkey. She went to the Barrack Hospital in Scutari (modern-day Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey) with a party of 38 nurses in 1854. The doctors did not want to take the help of the nurses at first, but within ten days, fresh casualties occurred, and the nurses proved to be a lot of help.
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In the hospitals, the wounded soldiers received Florence Nightingale with love and regard for her sincere duty and called her ‘The Lady with the Lamp’. Other nurses were also inspired by her, and the service of female nurses in the military hospital was a great success.
Reforms and Legacy
To show the nation’s gratitude for Florence Nightingale’s sincere work, a public fund was raised in 1856. With the money (£50,000) thus collected, Nightingale continued her reform work in hospitals in Britain. Her greatest achievement was to raise the nursing service to the level of a respectable profession.
Florence’s commitment extended beyond the battlefield. In 1860, she established the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. Her “Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not” was published in 1859. Later on, it was translated into eleven foreign languages. Being bedridden in her old age, she continued publishing 200 books.
Florence Nightingale was awarded the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria in 1883. In 1907, she became the first woman awarded the Order of Merit. She breathed her last on 13 August 1910, and she is still regarded as the ideal personality by nurses all over the world. International Nurses Day, observed annually on May 12, commemorates her birth and celebrates nurses’ vital role in healthcare.