What does Florence Nightingale mean to you?

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If someone came up to you and asked you about Florence Nightingale what would you say?

Try to describe her in as few words as possible.

Start your post with:

Florence Nightingale...

UPDATE

Results from all the responses..

Florence Nightingale Collage

The subject of a minimum of 5 papers while in nursing school, 10 if doing an RN-BSN program lol. At least that was my experience. Nothing like deifying that old chestnut :)

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Florence Nightingale... probably rolled in her grave when hospitals had to start installing hand sanitizer stations everywhere because modern day health professionals still can't be bothered to wash their hands between patients.

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Florence Nightengale: Administrative genius, fearless activist, politically savvy, effective, and intimidating.

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Specializes in NICU, Peds..

I wonder what she would think about the MD's who don't like Sanigel?

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

Much more interesting when you consider the fact that she was an incredibly flawed human with equally flawed beliefs.

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Florence Nightingale was a pioneer and important trailblazer that contributed a great deal to the nursing profession. However I wish that Mary E. Mahoney, the first black professional nurse, could also be recognized for her contributions.

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dirtyhippiegirl said:
Much more interesting when you consider the fact that she was an incredibly flawed human with equally flawed beliefs.

Aren't we all (flawed)? ?

Florence is known for many things, but the one thing that sticks out to me, and one that I've implemented in nsg and home...

Is her belief that a clean, fresh-air environment is one simple intervention that reaps many positive results.

Even in the dead of Winter, I insist on cracking windows open, to rid of nasty, heat-thriving germs in my house.

I wish hospital windows would open.

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Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

I created a collage from all the feedback. Thank you to all who participated. :up:

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Very interesting in that the "heroic" qualities she is known for, came about because of her own mistakes. Don't get me wrong, she certainly was a pioneer in the nursing field, but not necessarily a modern day hero, to say the least. I was quite shocked actually doing research on her, and finding out how tormented she really was throughout her life.

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Specializes in Wilderness Medicine, ICU, Adult Ed..

Many people who changed history were complicated, hard to work with, and "tormented." Let's be clear; Florence Nightingale is not a saint. She is a human being with all of the weaknesses and imperfections to which humans are subject. As with all great figures she is admirable not because she was perfect (she wasn't) but because she strove to do important things in spite of her imperfections.

"Nice girls don't make history." (Source unknown)

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She was simply the messiah of her time. She had a heart of GOLD and was ready to condescend to be of help to everyone irrespective of social class.

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

The greatest proclaimer of women's strengths, in a time when that was unthinkable.

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