Lady with a Lamp: Reflections on the Life and Impact of Florence Nightingale
Lady with a Lamp: Reflections on the Life and Impact of Florence Nightingale
Introduction
“A lady with a lamp shall stand in the great history of the land,” proclaimed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1857) in his poem “Santa Filomena.” Wadsworth was, of course, reflecting upon the great many contributions to society made by Florence Nightingale. How prophetic that simple phrase would come to be. So insightful are those words, that even today, 150 years later, the world continues to reflect upon the life of Miss Nightingale and the impact she had on the profession of nursing and health reform.purpose of paper, points to be covered in the paper? The reflections of Nightingale in history books record her as the first true professional nurse. Known as the “Matriarch of Modern Nursing,” (Pfettsher, as cited in Toomey & Alligood, 2001), Nightingale’s accomplishments include establishing the value of nursing in improving patient outcome, establishing the first school of nursing, and of course writing her now famous, “Notes on Nursing.” Nightingale “spent many years fighting for public policy reform related to health” (Hawks, 2002). Her impact on the care of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War is well documented. Additionally, the field of nursing recognizes Miss Nightingale as the “creative founder of modern nursing and its first nursing theorist” (Pfettsher, as cited in Toomey & Alligood, 2002). These facts are generally known. There are many less known facets to Miss Nightingale’s life. Florence was born May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy, “in the midst of the so called ‘Dark Period of Nursing’’’ (Bristol, 2002). She was named after the city of her birth. Her parents, affluent British citizens, William Edward and Frances, maintained two homes. One home was near London, and afforded the family the opportunity to enjoy the British social seasons of that era. William, a Cambridge University graduate, took it upon himself to educate his two daughters. Such
Introduction
“A lady with a lamp shall stand in the great history of the land,” proclaimed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1857) in his poem “Santa Filomena.” Wadsworth was, of course, reflecting upon the great many contributions to society made by Florence Nightingale. How prophetic that simple phrase would come to be. So insightful are those words, that even today, 150 years later, the world continues to reflect upon the life of Miss Nightingale and the impact she had on the profession of nursing and health reform.purpose of paper, points to be covered in the paper? The reflections of Nightingale in history books record her as the first true professional nurse. Known as the “Matriarch of Modern Nursing,” (Pfettsher, as cited in Toomey & Alligood, 2001), Nightingale’s accomplishments include establishing the value of nursing in improving patient outcome, establishing the first school of nursing, and of course writing her now famous, “Notes on Nursing.” Nightingale “spent many years fighting for public policy reform related to health” (Hawks, 2002). Her impact on the care of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War is well documented. Additionally, the field of nursing recognizes Miss Nightingale as the “creative founder of modern nursing and its first nursing theorist” (Pfettsher, as cited in Toomey & Alligood, 2002). These facts are generally known. There are many less known facets to Miss Nightingale’s life. Florence was born May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy, “in the midst of the so called ‘Dark Period of Nursing’’’ (Bristol, 2002). She was named after the city of her birth. Her parents, affluent British citizens, William Edward and Frances, maintained two homes. One home was near London, and afforded the family the opportunity to enjoy the British social seasons of that era. William, a Cambridge University graduate, took it upon himself to educate his two daughters. Such
References: Nightingale, Florence. Notes on nursing. 1860. Dover Publications, Inc. New York. 1969. Nightingale, Florence website. www.florence-nighingale.co.uk. September 25, 2002 Hawks, Jane H