Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale's Theory of Nursing

• Nursing is distinct from medicine, according to Florence Nightingale.
• Nightingale became a nurse for three reasons: a sense of duty, a desire to help others, and a sense of spiritual calling.

Environment for Patients

• Nightingale believed that a proper environment for patients does not include carpets, which are a source of dust and germs.
• According to Nightingale's theory, the five specific elements of a proper environment are:
  • Ventilation
  • Heating
  • Light
  • Noise
  • Cleanliness

Canons of Nursing

• The first canon of nursing is that the nurse's role is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon.
• The second canon of nursing is that the nurse's role is to direct the patient's powers obediently.

Nightingale's Career

• Florence Nightingale established her own Nightingale School and Home for Nurses in 1860.
• In 1860, Nightingale established the first professional nursing school in the world.

Nursing and Medicine

• Nightingale asserted that nursing is a separate profession from medicine, with its own distinct principles and practices.

Test your knowledge of the theoretical foundations of nursing with this quiz on Florence Nightingale's environment theory. Explore her reasons for becoming a nurse and the influence of her personal, family, and professional values.