Florence Nightingale for Most People, the Name Term Paper

Florence Nightingale

For most people, the name Florence Nightingale conjures up images of a gentle Victorian woman tending to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. The Englishwoman's name has since become synonymous with the ideals of the nursing profession. To me, however, Florence is also a symbol of integrity, determination and courage.

Florence's achievements are even more impressive considering the social conditions prevailing in 19th century England. This was, after all, a time when women did not yet have the right to vote. Women during this era were expected to get married, have children and most important, to stay at home.

Florence, in fact, was luckier than most of her female peers. She came from a fairly well to do English family that could pay servants in order to shield their daughters from manual labor.

Though she was not expected to work, the Nightingales had high expectations for their daughter.They wanted the young Florence to be a socialite, to become the toast of English society through her balls and tea parties. Allowing their daughter to work in "dirty" hospitals among the ill and the dying was the furthest thing from their minds.

Florence, however, was seized with a passion to "do something worthwhile."

In her early teens, she found immense fulfillment in nursing the sick farmers in her father's estate back to health. Thus, over her parents' objections, Florence took charge of her own education. She obtained nursing books and studied them in secret. On her own, she visited London area hospitals to observe medical care firsthand and to augment her book-based education. She endured the derision from her own family, including accusations that she was being "immoral."

Throughout these trials, Florence showed….....