Running Head: Florence Nightingale 1

Florence Nightingale

Jorge Arenivar

Oklahoma Panhandle State University

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Florence Nightingale

Few individuals impact their profession, let alone humanity beyond their lifetime.

Florence Nightingale was one of those individuals who was able to do both and still live on

today. While she contributed to an array of social issues (Simkin, n.d.), her advancement of the

nursing profession is the wick that keeps her lamp burning today.

Significant events in Nightingale’s life that led her to nursing and influenced her model of

nursing

Florence Nightingale’s upbringing as a child in a privileged family had a significant

influence on her life that led her to nursing and influenced her model of nursing. The fact she

may have had everything a child of her time needed allowed her to develop an unusual insight

far beyond material needs and wants.

Her father’s philosophy on educating women was progressive for the times in which they

lived. He saw to it firsthand that not only Florence received a well rounded education, but his

other daughter Parthenope as well (Parker, 2005). They were both educated and tutored by their

father in mathematics, languages, philosophy and religion (Sitzman and Eichelberger, 2004).

Later as she would travel abroad with her family, Florence Nightingale would visit

hospitals and slums in her free time. The hospital visits fostered ideas in her about ideal hospital

settings and improved conditions conducive to caring for the ill. She learned firsthand about

living conditions in crowded spaces and how to possibly improve those conditions during her

visits. Nightingale would also read medical reports or pamphlets on sanitation and other

materials on hospitals and homes.

It was her time at Kaiserworth nursing institution she would use to launch her career.

The training at Kaiserworth was intense and instilled a professional and further spiritual

discipline in Nightingale. The days at Kaiserworth began at 5 AM and ended at 7 PM. The rest of
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the evenings consisted of bible study. Nightingale undertook a second training with “the sisters

of St. Vicent de Paul, an order of nursing sisters” (Parker, 2005).

The Crimean War was where Florence Nightingale applied her previous experience,

education and body of knowledge. She attained national and international prominence because of

the changes she was able to bring about in the health and welfare of the British soldiers. Her

experience during the Crimean War allowed her to alter the environment which drastically

improved conditions for the soldiers and ultimately their health. This experience may have

ultimately solidified her environmental concept for nursing (Strachey, 1918).

Expressions of Spirituality and Caring Analyzed from Nightingale’s Life and Contributions to

Nursing

One of her first caring expressions of spirituality and caring occurred when Florence was

only a child. She was known to sew together dolls her sister had previously torn apart (Strachey,

1918). Nightingale had a natural instinct to help others in need. Even as a child Florence

displayed a maturity beyond her years. She took a keen interest in assisting the poor and the ill

(Parker, 2005).

A strong believer in God, she studied other religions. It was her religious upbringing in

the Unitarian faith that had a strong influence on her own beliefs and eventual practice as a

nurse. One of the tenets of the Unitarian faith was education in order for God’s plan to

materialize within each human being (Strachey, 1918). Nightingale defined a law as “the thought

of God” and felt she could not be of service to God by marrying. Nightingale believed she served

God through serving others (Parker, 2005).

Nightingale’s Assumptions and How They are Used in Nursing Today

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Nightingale’s assumptions have transcended time and continue to be applicable to

modern day nursing practice. Her emphasis on the environment, education and illness are the

highlights of her assumptions. They are a part of what is considered to be the holistic approach to

nursing today.

Nightingale believed in promoting a therapeutic environment to enable healing and its

importance in promoting the overall health of patients. Nursing today must not only consider the

environmental elements patients face, but also how patients fit in their particular environments.

In the area of nursing and medicine, Nightingale believed the job of nursing was to

provide a therapeutic environment to promote healing where as the job of medicine is to cure

disease or illness (Parker, 2005). These philosophies hold true today. Nursing and medicine are

most effective when working together in a collaborative manner (Shaner, 2006b).

Nightingale identified nursing as being part art and science. She established the

expectation that the profession would be practiced by educated individuals using the latest

research methods as well as compassion and common sense. These expectations are also

indicative of Nightingale’s assumptions. Evidence based practice guidelines are certainly a by-

product of Nightingale’s philosophy of utilizing research and applying the research process in

nursing (Parker 2005). Nightingale believed all women at some point would nurse their loved

ones, other family or friends. She also believed the art of nursing required planning and

education for its effective delivery (Sitzman and Eichelberger, 2004) and that nurses cannot be

taught by books alone. Nurses need a combination of clinical and theoretical training.

Nightingale’s Environment Model Applied to the Practice of Nursing

It is appropriate to say Nightingale’s environment model to the practice of nursing

applies today. The emphasis of the model stresses nursing focus on environmental factors.
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Nightingale outlined ways to improve environmental factors leading to improved patient

outcomes. She talks about air and water quality and touches upon lighting, noise, diet and

nutrition.

Today the concept of clean air and water are just as important as when first

conceptualized by Nightingale. Modern nurses must pay particular attention to the lifestyle and

behaviors of today’s patient.

Nurses should keep in mind the countless chemicals readily available in the industrial

marketplace. These chemicals have yet to be fully tested on human subjects and their teratology

is far from understood. The environment in which patients spend their time has changed as

compared to the time when Nightingale lived. Humans today spend a large degree of their time

indoors where air quality is unregulated. Studies indicate a direct correlation with pulmonary

complications and poor air quality.

The quality of water continues to be a problem throughout parts of the world. Water’s

emphasis is placed upon for the purpose of hydration for patients but small emphasis is placed on

securing and protecting a source of clean water.

Overall the concept of Nightingale’s environmental model requires nurses acquire a

better understanding of the environment in which they live. It is a simple yet complicated and

perhaps an overlooked foundation of proper health maintenance and health promotion (Shaner,

2006a).

In closing, Florence Nightingale gave prominence and respect to nursing as profession.

She launched her nursing philosophy and ideals for generations to come. When issues in the

nursing profession arise today, whether it be on the education of nurses or nursing and in the
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environment it is safe to start with Florence Nightingale. Her significant influence and fostering

of the profession are prominent in nursing today (Shaner 2006a).

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References

Eichelberger L., Sitzman, K. (2004). Understanding the Work of Nurse Theorists: A Creative

Beginning. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Shaner, H. (2006a). Nightingale knew more than she thought- environment as a phenomenon in

nursing: Reflections from Nurse Theorists. Retrieved from

http://www.nihe.org/enviropn.html

Shaner , H. (2006b). Nightingale's philosophical development. Retrieved from

http://www.nihe.org/philosophy.html

Simkin, (n.d.). Spartus educational. Florence Nightingale. Retrieved from

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REnightingale.htm

Parker, M. (2005). Nursing theories and nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co.

Strachey, L. (1918). Eminent Victorians: Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr.

Arnold, General Gordon. Chatto & Windus.