“Rather, ten deaths in the surf are better than standing still on the beach.
Florence Nightingale was a remarkable surfer in her own time. She revolutionized the field of nursing. Her most famous nickname is “The Lady with the Lamp”, after the nickname she was given by the soldiers she cared for during the Crimean War. Nightingale had to live with the limitations of 1800’s nursing conventions for many years. She fought against gender norms and pursued her medical career regardless. This led to the founding of modern nursing. Nightingale led the charge for modern nursing, and was called to service in October 1853. After being sent to Africa, 18000 soldiers were admitted at military hospitals. Female nurses were at that time a stigmatized profession with poor reviews. Nightingale was called to help after the Battle of Alma. Nightingale provided a training program for nurses to use her book-based knowledge on medicine. There was no nursing school in Constantinople. Patients and staff were living in terrible conditions. They had to be carried around their excrement in the corridors and basic supplies became scarce. The hospital was also contaminated with infectious diseases such as cholera and typhoid. She improved the hospital’s mortality rate by educating patients and practitioners about hygiene and instilling hygiene protocol. At 38, she was eventually diagnosed with Crimean flu (brucellosis), as well as other conditions from the war. Nightingale was an active participant in the faith of God. At 16, God called her to His service. She wasn’t sure at first what that meant, but her faith and belief in her vocation led her to medicine. Although she was raised in a religious family, her faith led her to rationalism. She denied miracles and hell. She believed her calling was “to give up all for the good of others.” This motivated her to continue working despite her declining health. Nightingale was the pioneer of modern nursing, earning the “Nightingale Jewel”, and $250 000 from Britain. Nightingale Training School for Nurses was established with the help of the prize money. Nightingale changed the name of nursing. The upper classes no longer considered it a disgraceful profession. Even though she was sick from Crimean flu, she continued to leave a legacy. She published “Notes on Hospitals”, an 1859 book that focused on the management of civil hospitals. Her influence on nursing extended beyond the country. She was an authority on Indian sanitation issues for civilians and military personnel. Nightingale also helped to create the “Royal Commission into the Health of the Army”, which analysed data on army mortality. She discovered that over 85% of deaths were caused by preventable illnesses and not due to battle. The complicated data was then visualised by Nightingale Rose Diagram, which showed how the Sanitary Commission had reduced the death rate. Florence Nightingale is a woman who has never been content to watch the waves. The surf is unpredictable and can come in many forms. Nightingale was weighed down by expectations from her family and society. She was continually pulled under by prejudice, sexism, and prejudice to prevent her from achieving her goals. She refused to go back to the shore, and she continued swimming towards the surface, despite the fact that conforming to society’s ‘rules would have given her a safe place to rest. The tsunami of 2020 is affecting over 8 million people. It’s a pandemic. It’s easy for people to complain about the current situation while they watch the battle from the safety of shore banks. It wouldn’t make any difference. Florence Nightingale would be encouraging us to chart a new course together in surfing, to conquer COVID-19. It’s possible to help one another: buy groceries for immunocompromised people, donate to charity or check on the condition of others. Nightingale was a great example of courage and passion during times like this, when fear is rampant and we must all work together to conquer fear and surf with one another. Bibliography
ABC Me created the content. & Vicky Jewson. (Director). (2018) Episode 1 [Television series episode]. In True stories. Retrieved from https://online.clickview.com.au/libraries/videos/7370688/florence-nightingale.
Biography.com Editors. (2018). Florence Nightingale, known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” was a pioneering nurse who changed the face of modern nursing during the Crimean War. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/scientist/florence-nightingale
Brooke, E. (1997). Female healers. London’s Godsfield Press Ltd. published the book.
Hinman, B. (2004). Florence nightingale: The Advancement of Nursing. n.p. : Mitchell Lane Publishers.
History.com Editors. (2009). Florence Nightingale, the famous nurse known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” who is credited with revolutionizing the field of nursing. HISTORY. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/florence-nightingale-1#section_2
History.com Editors. (2017). Cholera. HISTORY. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/history-of-cholera
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