Perhaps worst of all, it turns out that the hospital had been built over a sewer and the water was toxic.įlorence mobilized the hospital, patients, and staff alike, in a massive cleaning effort. The floors were covered in layers of human waste, the hospital was overrun by rodents and insects. The Barrack Hospital in Scutari, which is now a district of Istanbul called Uskudar, was nightmarish. She later went to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) to the main hospital for British soldiers. This is especially true for her role in the Crimean War, in which the British fought the Russians for control of the Ottoman Empire.įlorence was sent to Crimea to care for soldiers and was appalled at the squalid conditions of the hospitals. She was instrumental in controlling a cholera outbreak at her hospital due to her insistence on the implementation of sanitary practices.įlorence was a staunch advocate for hygiene practices, which in turn saved the lives of many of her patients throughout her career. RELATED: 10 GREATEST WOMEN IN STEM Florence Nightingale saves lives through hygieneįlorence Nightingale’s talent as a nurse became apparent quickly as she moved up through the rankings at the hospital where she was employed. She got her education in Germany and started working in London. After she turned down a marriage proposal and continued to pursue her passion for nursing in the years following, Florence’s parents finally permitted her to be trained as a nurse. Florence did not feel this way and was persistent in pursuing her dreams. Working was seen as something destined for women from the lower classes. According to the status quo of that time, Florence should have married a wealthy suitor from a good background. However, nursing was not an appropriate activity for a woman of her status. She felt that God had called her to be a nurse. Her father was her teacher and provided her with an education that included German, French, and Italian.Īs a young girl, Florence enjoyed caring for the people in her village. Raised between two beautiful estates, Florence received an education fitting for a girl of her status. She was born on in Florence, Italy, to a British family of high social standing. If not for the model of cleanliness and the dedication to nursing that Florence Nightingale exemplified, modern society may have been without a fighting chance against this pandemic.įlorence Nightingale, as a nurse, revolutionized not only her own profession but the entire field of medicine. In the era of Covid-19, our daily lives are consumed with both fear of becoming ill and faith in the medical system.
Florence Nightingale, more than “The Lady with The Lamp”
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