May 12: Birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820)
Prayer Idea
Pray for nurses who care for patients at all times of day and night.
History Note
Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, while her British parents were living in the city of Florence (now in Italy). The family returned to England in 1821.
Florence’s father guided her education at home, with help from a governess. She learned to read and write French, German, Italian, Greek, and Latin, and enjoyed philosophical discussions with her father.
Feeling a divine calling to reduce human suffering, Florence Nightingale became a nurse, despite opposition from family members who thought such a job beneath her social status.
The Crimean War (1853-1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire on one side and the Ottoman Empire, France, and the United Kingdom on the other. When reports reached the UK that wounded soldiers were receiving inadequate medical care, the British government directed Nightingale to lead a group of nurses to a hospital in Scutari, a city in what is now Türkiye.
Nightingale and her fellow nurses improved sanitation in the wards, keeping clothing and bedding clean. They also assisted the wounded soldiers in writing letters to relatives and provided emotional support through educational and recreational activities.
During a visit to the Crimean peninsula during the war, Nightingale became ill with a disease known at the time as “Crimean fever”. Likely a bacterial infection, she suffered from its lingering effects for decades. At the end of the war in 1856, Nightingale stayed until the hospitals were ready to close.
Florence Nightingale kept careful records about her work during the Crimean War. Based on her research, the British military made reforms in how it cared for wounded soldiers. Nightingale published a book, Notes on Nursing, and established a school of nursing in London. She devoted the rest of her life to improving health care.
When Nightingale died in 1910, the British government wanted to honor her with a state funeral and burial at Westminster Abbey. However, she had not wanted this. St. Paul’s Cathedral hosted a memorial service, and she was buried in the church cemetery with her parents near their family estate.
The 1856 illustration shows Florence Nightingale at the Scutari Hospital. Colored lithograph by E. Walker, after W. Simpson. Image courtesy the Wellcome Collection.
Learn More
This video provides an overview of Florence Nightingale’s life.
Please Note: There are images of battles and wounded soldiers and brief descriptions of unsanitary conditions.
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