Early Life
Born May 12th 1820 in Florence, Italy, she was named after her birthplace, however she grew up in England and lived in Derbyshire, Hampshire and London.
The second of two daughters to William Edward Nightingale and Frances Nightingale. Her father believed strongly in the education of women and Florence received an excellent education. She studied, literature, history, philosophy and mathematics, as well as several languages including French, German, Italian, Greek and Latin.
Florence never married or had children, claiming that she had “calls from God” from the age of 16 directing her towards alleviating people’s pain through nursing.
Career
She came to prominence during the Crimean War where she was tasked with the care of British and allied soldiers.
In 1855 the Nightingale Fund was established, raising £45,000 by 1859. Florence used the money to set up the Nightingale School of Nursing, situated at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. The school opened in 1860 and was the beginning of formalised secular nursing education.
In 1856 she met with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to discuss reforms within the British military establishment, particularly medical treatment and sanitation practices. A Royal Commission was established and Florence’s meticulously kept records were used as the basis for the Commission’s findings. She also established training in the area of district nursing, as she felt that the best place for the care of the sick, was in their own homes.
In 1883 Florence Nightingale became the first recipient of the Royal Red Cross. A military decoration established by Queen Victoria and awarded for exceptional services in military nursing.
Further accolades followed, in 1904 she was awarded the title of Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and in 1907 she became the first female recipient of the Order of Merit.
Death
Florence Nightingale died on August 13th 1910 and although she had been offered a state funeral and burial in Westminster Abbey, her family, respecting her wishes, declined the offer. A memorial service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral and she was buried in the family plot at St Margaret’s Church in Wellow, Hampshire.
Trivia
- She owned over 60 cats during her lifetime and had a pet owl called Athena.
- She earned her nickname, ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ during the Crimean War, because of the lamp she carried on her night rounds while providing personal care to the wounded and sick. Her actions earned her the respect of both the soldiers and the medical professionals at the Barrack Hospital in Scutari.
- Her family resisted her attempts to become a nurse believing that such work was an inappropriate activity for a woman of her stature. Florence through her work made nursing a respectable career for women.
- Her voice was recorded using a phonograph in 1890. The recording has been preserved in the British Library Sound Archive.
A more in-depth article on Florence Nightingale will be in Issue 11 of the magazine.
