The so-called founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale, started as a nurse for the sick and poor, impacting the origin of the field. A young woman started the education for primary responsibilities and knowledge required for nurses. It seems significant to mention that caregivers had no formal learning or training experience before Nightingale’s influences. However, precisely Florence Nightingale’s effort has shaped the nursing practice and helped people in getting ready for this respected profession.
The first step in incorporating formal education for nurses was a textbook carefully written by Nightingale. The book, Notes on Nursing included the primary aspects for obtaining the nursing practice for beginners and even those who were relatively familiar with the principles of caregiving (Whitehead, 2020). The piece also included advice for women on caring for their families and curing diseases (Whitehead, 2020; Matthews et al., 2020). In addition, Florence focused on the vitality of the observation to diagnose and treat the patients properly. Naturally, Nightingale’s accomplishments did not stop at the book; she also founded The Nightingale School for Nurses in 1860 as a part of St. Thomas’ Hospital in London (Whitehead, 2020). The educational establishment was the first to provide people with nursing training, allowing them to further work in hospitals or use this knowledge to help the poor or their families (Whitehead, 2020). Naturally, Nightingale’s legacy was then continued by her students, who also chose to work as nurses and share their knowledge and experience with aspiring caregivers.
Furthermore, Florence has helped numerous soldiers while volunteering as an army nurse. She formed her recommendations for the practical treatment of soldiers on the field to increase the number of deaths due to improperly treated injuries. In fact, she proposed her advice for changing the health institutions in her book, elaborating on the alterations that should be made to the buildings (Matthews et al., 2020). Florence Nightingale suggested that increased ventilation, improved drainage, a more significant number of windows, and increased space in the institutions can positively impact the practice of army nurses.
Florence has introduced the priorities that nurses should always follow in their practices to help people properly. She claimed that catering to the patients’ needs can positively enhance the outcomes of the treatment (Matthews et al., 2020). Moreover, as a founder of nursing practice, Florence focused on the significance of evidence-based practice that can be supported by the patient’s observation for diagnosing one and choosing the best course of further treatment (Matthews et al., 2020). “The lady with the lamp” is honored and respected by many healthcare institutions, and the appreciation is extended to the representatives of the nursing practice across the globe (Matthews et al., 2020, p. 5). By and whole, her views and opinions still matter to modern nurses as they use her recommendations and advice while constantly improving their skills and acquiring new knowledge.
The aforementioned achievements of a prominent caregiver, Florence Nightingale, have helped shape the nursing practice as people know it now. She managed to improve the standards of nursing education along with advancing the operations of health institutions. Her experience as an army nurse has assisted in the development of hospital facilities to treat the deeply wounded and injured soldiers. The primary requirements she included in her book are still being used by modern army nurse corps to decrease the death rate in the warzone.
References
Matthews, J., Whitehead, P., Ward, C., Kyner, M., & Crowder, T. (2020). Florence Nightingale: Visionary for the role of clinical nurse specialist. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 25(2). Web.
Whitehead, P. (2020). Florence Nightingale: The first clinical nurse specialist. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 34(5), 191–193. Web.