 Florence
Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on 12th May 1820. Her
parents, William Edward and Frances Nightingale, were a wealthy
couple who toured Europe for their Honeymoon.
When she was seventeen Florence believed she received a
calling from God asking her to do his work. Against her parents
wishes she became a nurse.
During the Crimean War Florence took a group of nurses to
Turkey to help injured soldiers. On 4th November 1854 Florence
and her nurses arrived at the Barrack hospital in Scutari.
Within days the nurses were hard at work. As well as nursing the
soldiers' wounds Florence also wrote letters for them to send
home to their families. She was called the
"Lady-in-Chief".
Florence was appalled by the conditions at the hospital. She
set about trying to make military hospitals better. When she
returned to England she also opened two training schools for
nurses.
Because of the lamp she carried around Florence was also
known as the "Lady with the Lamp". |
