InsideHistoryDigital

To many, Florence Nightingale is known throughout the
world as the “Lady with the Lamp” who organised the
nursing of the wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.
Oil paintings of Florence holding her lamp would circulate
the country as she became more than a nurse but a
beacon of hope for the military. The lamp that she held
whilst on her nightly rounds had transformed into a halo
of selflessness. It was an image that has remained with us
to this very day.
This is the legend that was created, however, Nightingale
was much more than the “Lady with the Lamp”. Her
influence transcends the Crimean War and can still be felt
in today’s modern medical world. Whilst her image has
become iconic, the lamp can also be seen as a metaphor
as someone who shone a light towards the changing of
victorian hospitals, midwifery and social change.
Her upbringing suggested that nursing should not have
been Florence’s calling in life. Born in Florence, Italy, she
was the daughter of William and Frances Nightingale. As a
well connected and well off upper-middle-class family,
Florence was expected to be obedient and follow her class
distinctions. For her, it was expected that she should marry
but Florence had other ideas.
Her Christian faith had always been a driving force
throughout her life and she believed that she heard God’s
voice calling to her just before her 17th Birthday. The call to
help others was clear to her and nursing, in particular,
became her chosen profession. There was, of course, an
issue with this decision. Nursing in the 19th Century was
seen as a job for the working classes. From her uppermiddle-class
background, it was seen by her parents as an
embarrassing move that defied convention.
They tried to dissuade her in the best way that they could.
They prevented Florence to train as a nurse in Salisbury.
Despite this, she continued to study in secret before her
battle with her family took a toll on her own health.
Increasingly depressed and suffering from nervous
collapses, she eventually got what she wanted. The
Nightingales still didn’t want their daughter in a rough
victorian hospital filled with diseases and drunkenness.
Instead, they sent her to Kaiserswerth, a religious
community in Germany.
It was here where Florence Nightingale learned her trade.
Observing amputations, learning how to dress wounds
and how to care for the sick and dying. For her, God’s
calling had started to come true. She later wrote: ”Now I
know what it is to love life.”
Upon on returning home the news of the Crimean War
was featured on every newspaper front page. The
conditions of the base hospitals at Scutari had quickly
become horrific.