One woman alone has saved many lives, even with the whole of society against her. Her ability to stand for her moral beliefs is a rare, but valuable gift. This magnificent woman was none other than Florence Nightingale. She was a visionary, with determination and strong ambition. She was not afraid to fight for what she believed in. Commonly referred to as ‘the lady with the lamp’, Florence Nightingale was born into a wealthy family in Florence, Italy, in 1820. In that era, most woman were merely seen as house wives, with little say and/ or opinion. But Florence thought differently, and was going to change this demanding stereotype.
Florence always aspired to be in charge of her own future. Her inspiration came from a direct message from God which resulted in her ambition to become a nurse. However, both her parents were outraged by this, claiming that “Nursing was associated with working class woman” [1]. During this era, the social norm would be for women to marry at a young age. To decline multiple offers from eligible men was a truly rebellious act. She did this, convinced that “marriage would only interfere with her ability to follow her calling to nursing” [2]. Despite all the opposition from her family, Florence embarked in her career as a nurse.
Florence always aspired to be in charge of her own future. Her inspiration came from a direct message from God which resulted in her ambition to become a nurse. However, both her parents were outraged by this, claiming that “Nursing was associated with working class woman” [1]. During this era, the social norm would be for women to marry at a young age. To decline multiple offers from eligible men was a truly rebellious act. She did this, convinced that “marriage would only interfere with her ability to follow her calling to nursing” [2]. Despite all the opposition from her family, Florence embarked in her career as a nurse.
Florence faced many struggles, and one of them was gender discrimination. Most men were under the common misconception that only men were capable enough for the medical field. They also were against the fact that she was a woman, and that she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. At that point in time, being a nurse implied that you would only serve as a janitor for the hospitals. Nurses were not involved in any medical help. Most doctors claimed that being involved in medical work was “not a woman's business”. Upon hearing this, Florence persevered and sought the aid of a befriended journalist from the Times newspaper, and publicly appealed for the condoning of female doctors and nurses. She did this by showing them pictures showing the lack of staff at the hospitals during the Crimean War. Florence was a dedicated doctor, who wished the best for her patients. The allowing of female nurses and doctors would enable British patients to receive the substantial medical attention that they required, as most hospitals were under-staffed. After Florence had publicly appealed to her cause, the hospitals were almost forced due to public outcry, to enable women to serve in the medical field. Her proposition also resulted in a promotion for all nurses. Nurses would now serve as active assistants for doctors, rather than mere janitors to clean up after, and as a result they played a more significant role in society. Her demand for gender equality was a success. This proved Florence to be a force to be reckoned with, as well as a resolute, and committed doctor.
Another significant act that Florence did was the modernization of hospitals. Back in the 1800's, men would come back from war and their wounds were attended to in the most ghastly of conditions. Adequate food was not given, and their wounds were unwashed, and still encrusted with remains of dried blood and dirt. Hygiene standards were abysmal, if not non-existent. Aghast by these poor conditions, Florence fought for the lives of the injured patients who were easily exposed to life-threatening diseases such as as typhus, cholera, and dysentery. This caused an epidemic to spread among many of the hospitals, and accounted for many of the deaths. After many months of extra hours of labour, Florence earned enough to finally be able to finance the medical treatment her patients required. Her funds provided for adequate nutrition, as well as basic hygienic conditions. As an immediate effect of this, death rates were drastically reduced by 40%. Following from this, hospitals conditions have improved across Europe ever since.
Florence Nightingale’s ability to fight for what she believed in is something that we should all admire. Whether it be gender discrimination, or personal ambition, Florence had fought time and time again, and is a true role model whom we should all be inspired by. Many lives were saved in her name, and her changes in the hospital directly influenced the lives of many patients. Her passion for progress and improvement should be something that we should try to incorporate into our own lives to help change the world like Florence did.
Another significant act that Florence did was the modernization of hospitals. Back in the 1800's, men would come back from war and their wounds were attended to in the most ghastly of conditions. Adequate food was not given, and their wounds were unwashed, and still encrusted with remains of dried blood and dirt. Hygiene standards were abysmal, if not non-existent. Aghast by these poor conditions, Florence fought for the lives of the injured patients who were easily exposed to life-threatening diseases such as as typhus, cholera, and dysentery. This caused an epidemic to spread among many of the hospitals, and accounted for many of the deaths. After many months of extra hours of labour, Florence earned enough to finally be able to finance the medical treatment her patients required. Her funds provided for adequate nutrition, as well as basic hygienic conditions. As an immediate effect of this, death rates were drastically reduced by 40%. Following from this, hospitals conditions have improved across Europe ever since.
Florence Nightingale’s ability to fight for what she believed in is something that we should all admire. Whether it be gender discrimination, or personal ambition, Florence had fought time and time again, and is a true role model whom we should all be inspired by. Many lives were saved in her name, and her changes in the hospital directly influenced the lives of many patients. Her passion for progress and improvement should be something that we should try to incorporate into our own lives to help change the world like Florence did.
