Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910) was a British social reformer and statistician. She is considered the “founder” of modern nursing and became an icon of Victorian culture with her image as the “Lady with the Lamp,” tending to wounded soldiers.
Florence Nightingale was born into an upper-class British family in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. She was exposed early to progressive ideas and a liberal-humanitarian perspective. Her parents educated her and her sister in history, mathematics, languages, and philosophy.
Florence demonstrated a talent for data analysis, a foundation that would later make her a pioneer in the field of statistics.
Portrait of Nurse Florence Nightingale.
Between 1853 and 1854, she served as the director of the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in Upper Harley Street, London, before arriving at the Selimiye Barracks in Scutari in early November 1854, during the tense period of the Crimean War (The Crimean War (1853 – 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain, and Sardinia, with most battles occurring on the Crimean Peninsula, hence the name).
The painting titled “The Mission of Mercy: Florence Nightingale receiving the Wounded at Scutari,” depicts the scene of the nurse receiving wounded soldiers into the field hospital.
Upon her arrival, Florence immediately recognized the dire lack of facilities and sanitation, which led to many soldiers’ deaths. She requested and personally improved sanitation procedures and operations at the field hospital, significantly reducing the mortality rate due to infections.
A young photo of Florence.
Every night, she would check on the health conditions of the wounded soldiers, and the image of the “Lady with the Lamp” originated from this experience. In 1860, she laid the foundation for nursing by establishing a nursing school at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London.
A replica of the painting “Lady with the Lamp” by Henrietta Rae, 1891.
Additionally, Florence advocated for social reforms such as improving healthcare services for all social classes in British society and expanding the female workforce.
Florence Nightingale (center) with the graduating class of St. Thomas’ Nursing School in 1886 in Buckinghamshire, Southeast England.
Moreover, she contributed to the field of statistics with the Nightingale Diagram and to literature with her works promoting medical knowledge.
In 1939, Belgium issued a postage stamp to acknowledge her contributions to the Red Cross while in Belgium.
Florence Nightingale passed away in 1910, leaving behind significant achievements for the world. To honor her and commemorate nurses, in 1965, the International Council of Nurses decided to designate her birthday (May 12) as International Nurses Day.
“Diagram of Causes of Mortality of Soldiers” by Florence Nightingale in 1858. This type of chart is still used today and is known as the “Nightingale Diagram.”
The Florence Nightingale Medal is currently the highest honor awarded to nurses and nursing practitioners.
Statue of Florence Nightingale in Derby, England.
The Florence Nightingale Medal honors the world’s finest nurses and nursing practitioners.
