Florence Nightingale - life story

Florence Nightingale - Nurse.



Was born to wealthy English parents in 1820, she was educated at home by her father and had a strict upbringing. Florence rejected marriage because she felt she would become entrapped by domestic responsibilities. She always felt she had a calling to serve, and in a time when respectable young ladies were expected to marry well, she refused and was not supported by her parents, who felt such a profession was beneath their status.

In 1853 the Crimera war broke out, it was a bloody war for both sides. This war received extensive press reporting and the stories from the battles shocked a whole nation, it was then that the legendary status of Florence Nightingale began. Florence went to the Crimera in 1855 and was asked to organise a group of nurses, initially cleaning the hospital though this would change when the hospital became overwhelmed by the number of casualties.



Florence soon blended her unique passion for cleanliness with her compassion for the injured and dying. Stories reached the English press of how comforting she was to the injured soldiers and her name became synonymous with caring. Florence Nightingale returned to England after the war and opened a school for Nursing at St Thomas's hospital London.

Florence Nightingale is not famous because she became a Nurse, she became famous because she thought outside of the box, did something she was not supposed to do, disobeyed her parents and followed her dream to help people and make a difference. It is easy to follow a path that is already marked out, but making a new path takes courage and determination, how easily she could have failed to achieve her goal, thankfully she succeeded, she has a place in history because she was motivated and determined.

Motivation and Determination are not Human Givens, they need to be learned.

by Paul Parkin