FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

T H E L A D Y O F T H E L A M P

By Emma Borg Grade 5 alpha

Florence Nightingale is famous for her nursing work during the Crimean war in 1854 . She changed the face of nursing from a mostly untrained profession to a highly skilled and medical profession with very important responsibilities.

She was born in Florence , Italy on 12 May 1820. Her father was a wealthy land owner. She was brought up in Derbyshire (where she spent her summers) and Hampshire ( where she spent her winters).

Florence was named after the place of her birth.

In those days rich English girls such as Florence were expected to do - almost nothing. At the time when Florence was born, many girls did not receive any type of education. Florence was very lucky because her father, William Nightingale, believed that all women should receive an education. He taught Florence and her sister a variety of subjects ranging from science and mathematics to history and philosophy.

Florence Nightingale felt called by God to become a nurse. At seventeen years of age, she believed she was called into service by God “to do something toward lifting the load of suffering from the helpless and miserable.”

At first her parents refused to allow her to become a nurse because, at that time, it was not thought to be a suitable profession for a well educated woman. But Florence did not give up.In 1853 she was running a hospital in London.

1. 1849 - travelled to Europe to study the European hospital system.

2. 1850 - travelled to Alexandria, Egypt and began studying nursing at the Institute of Saint Vincent de Paul.

3. 1851 - aged thirty-one, went to Germany to train to become a nurse.

4. 1853 - became superintendent of the Hospital for Gentlewomen in London.

5. 1854 - the Crimean War broke out.

Why was Florence Nightingale called 'The lady of the lamp' ?Florence was very dedicated to her job. She would often visit the soldiers at night when every one was asleep just to make sure they were ok. She was then referred to as “The Lady of the Lamp” because she hardly took time off to sleep. Florence became a true hero to the soldiers and everyone back home in England.

Facts about Florence Nightingale

She was a brave person and had lots of courage.

She was a world class Maths whiz.

She made special emphasis about hygiene.

She died when she was 90 years old in a park in London. She had cholera.