Honor a nurse or midwife on May 12th for International Nurses’ Day

Florence Nightingale: A Drama Queen in Brief

1820 to 1910

In 1820 Florence Nightingale was born in Florence Italy. At 17 she claims that a vision of God called her to the service of others. Leaning toward nursing, she proposed the idea of training at the Salisbury Infirmary. The idea horrified her family to the point where they went ballistic trying to dissuade her.

Torn between annoying her family and towing the line, she begins by secretly studying hospital reports.

Despite her family’s feelings she visits a Lutheran Hospital in Kaiserwerth Germany, and is hooked on the idea that she can do a much better job of care-giving. Others believe in her ideas and she is hired to run the Institute for Sick Gentlewomen in Distress.

During the Crimean War, she was appointed Superintendent of Female Nursing Establishment to the English General Hospitals in Turkey. While in Turkey she cuts the death rate from 42% to 2.2% and in 1856 returns to England a hero. She writes a government report on British Military Hospitals, not shying away from highlighting approaches to nursing that could be done better.

On a personal note, she refuses to see her family. It takes a toll on her and she collapses. She believes at this time that she is on the verge of death. Her sympathetic Aunt Mai comes to live with, and care for her during her last days. Those “last days” turned into another 53 years.