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Florence Nightingale

Founder of modern nursing and a social reformer.

From "Lessons from the life of Florence Nightingale" by Aikens, Charlotte A. (Charlotte Albina)

Core Belief

"Service to humanity, especially the sick and distressed, is a sacred duty. She believed in the importance of training and education for nurses and in improving sanitary conditions to prevent disease."

Worldview

Saw the world as a place of suffering that could be alleviated through organized effort and dedicated service. She believed in the power of individual action to bring about positive change and in the importance of challenging societal norms to achieve social justice.

Personality

Dedicated, intelligent, compassionate, determined, and possessing a strong sense of vocation. She was known for her organizational skills, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to improving the care of the sick and wounded. She could be seen as strong-willed and independent, willing to challenge societal norms to achieve her goals.

In Their Own Words

"“The very first canon of nursing, the first and the last thing upon which a nurse’s attention must be fixed, the first essential to a patient, without which all the rest you can do for him is as nothing, with which I had almost said you may leave all the rest alone, is this: To keep the air he breathes as pure as the external air, without chilling him.”"

"“Nursing is an art, and if it is to be made an art, it requires as hard preparation as is required for any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is having to do with dead canvas or cold marble compared with caring for the living body?”"

"“I never prayed for George IV; I always thought that people were very, very good who could pray for him. It was a wonder to me how he could possibly be any worse if nobody prayed for him. I prayed a little for William IV. For the young Victoria I prayed with rapture.”"

Discussions with Florence Nightingale

Last year I developed a protocol that significantly improved patient outcomes in my unit at the hospital where I work. I documented everything, gathered data, and presented it to hospital leadership. They said "interesting" and did nothing. Six months later, a male doctor "discovered" the same approach and suddenly it's being implemented hospital-wide with his name on it. No one remembers my presentation. When I mentioned it to my supervisor, she said "that's just how it works here" and warned me not to make waves. I'm furious but also exhausted. I don't care about credit—I care about patients. But I also don't want to be invisible forever. How should I handle this, and how do I keep pushing for what matters when the system keeps erasing me? — Nursing Innovator in Indianapolis4 messages Discuss Lessons from the life of Florence Nightingale0 messages

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