Florence Nightingale is most well-known for her participation as a nurse during the Crimean War. During her service there, she observed that the mortality was increasingly high, with as many as 4077 soldiers dying in one winter (Yoder et al., 2021). More commonly, the disease was the cause of frequent death, while battle wounds were less deadly in a statistical sense. In 1855, when a sanitary commission was sent to the hospital based in Scutari, Turkey, the sewers, latrines, and cesspits were cleaned and corpses were removed from water sources. Changes were noticeable, with mortality rates decreasing by more than 20% over the course of a few months.
This, as well as a number of other experiences, caused Nightingale to gather data in regard to medical care. She implemented a number of strategies, including sending surveys to hospitals, collecting, and assessing the provided information. Using her analyzed data, she was able to formulate reports and establish commissions focused on medical investigations. The research provided by Nightingale was able to determine a number of findings, including the proportion of recoveries and mortality rates of various diseases. Similarly, disease trajectories and recovery periods could be mapped. Details concerning demographics of certain diseases were also becoming more visible, such as information concerning illnesses in relation to gender, age, and other factors. Later in her life, many of her reports and strategies began to be implemented in the education of nurses. Nightingale did not only focus on the fight against disease but on other essential medical services, including patient care, hygiene, cleanliness, and efficient management.
A majority of the aforementioned components can be identified within current nursing practices and education. This signifies how fundamental Nightingale’s work has been to nursing and the general practice of medicine in the modern day. Nightingale was able to provide nurses with formal education and structured professional and medical practice (American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences, 2020). Her efforts with statistical data were essential in the application of such research to clinical practice. To this day, research, analysis, and application of scientific findings incorporate elements of Nightingale’s practice and ideology. Nurse-specific knowledge and research are also vital in providing adequate care. With emerging crises or health complications, it is important to implement ongoing investigations to formulate adequate solutions. Her holistic approach was what defined nursing as an important and specialized practice that harbored specific knowledge that had to be obtained.
Nightingale was also responsible for establishing the standards of nurse care. She prioritized a clean environment and equipment, hygiene of the patient, bedside care, and monitoring. These smaller but equally important steps led to an increase in the prevention of diseases and the improvement of hospital conditions. To this day, operational equipment, hygiene, and clean environments are the standards of any hospital setting in the world.
Nightingale’s impact on modern nursing and medical service is undeniable and essential for its future progress. The application of the latest research has been shown to lead to better patient outcomes, lower mortality, better use of resources, and improved abilities of nursing professionals. The core of her practice continues to elevate the standards of nursing. Equally important was her establishment of the values of nurses, prioritizing patient care. Research methods pioneered by Nightingale also allow nurses more control and knowledge within their practice and improve service without the excessive or unnecessary.
References
American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences. (2020). Florence Nightingale: the founder of modern nursing. The Sentinel Watch. Web.
Yoder, L., Walker, L., & Rew L. (2021). What Florence Nightingale can teach us about nursing today. The University of Texas at Austin. Web.