Florence Nightingale is the famous British reformer who was essentially the founder of the nursing profession, and whose name is synonymous with one who brings great comfort to others. Born in Florence, Italy, (hence the name) to a wealthy British family, Florence was raised in England and essentially educated by her father. In addition to literature, philosophy, history and languages, he added mathematics to the mix – most unusual for a girl of her times and class. Early on, young Florence felt a religious calling to a life of service, specifically nursing, and was able to realize this ambition during the Crimean War of 1853 – 1856. She pioneered many innovative methods of nursing while there, taught and trained many other young women in the 1853-56. She wrote the definitive guidebook, Notes on Nursing, and singlehandedly ushered her profession into the modern age. Considering the restrictive Victorian atmosphere in which she operated, her accomplishments are amazing. No less a luminary than Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized her as “the lady with the lamp†in his 1857 poem, “St. Filomenaâ€. Her legacy lives on today in a proud profession.
