Florence Nightingale Life and her Contribution in Nursing

This paper discusses how Florence Nightingale was a complex woman, largely responsible for the state of nursing as we know it today. For all of her efforts, she was a product of her upbringing. She had amazing success with changing the hospital conditions in Crimea and establishing the nursing profession as a respectable one before becoming a recluse upon her return to England. This paper highlights some of the events of Florence Nightingale's life as well as how her nursing theory has played a most important role in registered nursing today.

Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820 at some stage of a family holiday made by her English parents in Florence, Italy, which is she was named after (Funnell, Koutoukidis & Laurence, 2005: 5). (Tomey & Alligood 2002) suggest Florence Nightingale was born to a well-educated and wealthy family known as aristocratic Victorian family in England. The socio-economic situation infers that she had access to a good education and that she was not exposed to the hardships in life. This makes it clear also, that she would have had some respect in the society in which she participated in. Tomey & Alligood 2006: 72) explain that the secretary of war was a “close family friend”. This helps understand the position held by the Nightingale in a time family where power in society held value. So people with high social regard were in a position to offer their opinion, it was a reasonable that their opinion would hold some weight. (Tomey & Alligood, 1998; 69) explain that Florence Nightingale developed the sense that her life should become more useful. Much more attention to this has been paid to the "calling" that Nightingale recorded in her diary " God spoke to me and called me to his service.

Nightingale entered nursing training at Kaiserwerth, Germany, a protestant religious community with a hospital facility. Nightingale stayed there for 3 months at the end her teacher declared her to be trained as a nurse. Nightingale returned to England and began to examine hospital facilities reformatories and charitable institution and became the superintendent of the hospital for invalid Gentlewomen in London. Moreover, Nightingale received a request from the secretary of the war who was a family friend to go to Turkey where she providing trained nurses to care for wounded soldiers.

To achieve her mission of provided nursing care. She needs to address the invironmental problems that existed, including the lack of sanitation and the presence of filth. Nightingale's work in improving these deplorable conditions made her a popular person to these soldiers. However, the support of the physicians and the military officers demonstrated less enthusiasm. Nightingale was called "The lady of the lamp" because of her ward rounds perform during the night. During her life, Nightingale devotes her energies to societal issues and causes in an attemp to create social changes.

Nightingale continued to concentrate on army sanitation in India and health care of the poor in England. Nightingle had the opinion that environment played an important rule in achieving health. (Crisp & Taylor 2001: 95) elaborate that Nightingale did not sight nursing as controlled merely to the management of medications and treatments but rather as familiarized toward providing fresh air, good sunlight, good hygiene, quiet and adequate nutrition would alter the environment to prevent disease.

Through observation and data collection, the clients health status with environmental factors and initiated improved hygiene and sanitary conditions during the Crimean war. In addition, Florence Nightingale's work as a potential theoritical and conceptual model for nursing. (Crisp & Taylor; 2001: 95) suggests that Nightingale's concept of the environment as the focus of nursing care and her warning that nurses need to know all about the disease process, are early attemps to differentiate between nursing and medicine.

Florence Nightingale provided basic concepts and propositions that could be supported and used for practice in nursing. Nightingale's descriptive theory provides nurses with a way to think about nursing with a frame of reference that focuses on clients and the environment (Torres, 1986). Nightingale's letters and writings direct the nurse to act on behalf of the client. Her principles were visionary and encompass the areas of practice, research, and education. Most important, her concepts and principles shaped and delineated nursing practice (Marriner-Tomey and Alligood, 1998).

Nightingale taught and used the nursing process, noting that "vital observation is not for the sake of piling up miscellaneous information of curious facts, but for the sake of saving life and increasing health and comfort. (Tomey & Alligood, 1998; 70) expresses that Nightingale confined herself to her residence, citing continued ill health. Her written word was strong and clear, thus, her beliefs, observations and desire for changes in health care, through this medium her work was successfully achieved.

In addition, she received the most powerful as visitors in her home to maintain her dialogues and to win approval and support for her causes. Nightingale's work was recognized in her lifetime through many awards she received from both her own country and many others. She was able to work into her eighties and died sleep at the age of 90 on August 13, 1910. What happened if Florence Nightingale was born into parents who are poor? Will Florence Nightingale be popular in the health care history? In conclusion,  Nightingle's theory has been used to provide general guidelines for all nurses in all times.

The universality and timelessness of her concepts remain pertinent. The relation concepts, nurse, patient, and environment are applicable in all nursing settings today. To address her audience of women who may provide care to another, the theory she proposed remains relevant. Thus, it meets the criterion of generalizability. Reference List: Tomey, A. M. , Alligood M. R. (2006) Nursing Theorists and Their Work (6th ed) Tomey, A. M. , Alligood, M. R (1998) Nursing Theorists and Their Work (4th ed) Funnell, Koutoukidis, Laurence, (2005) Tabbner’s Nursing Care Theory and Practice (4th ed. ) Crisp, J. , Taylor, C (2001) Fundamentals of Nursing

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