Nursing Theorist, Florence Nightingale
This paper explores a nursing theorist, Florence Nightingale, and her impact on the modern-day nursing profession. At the begging, the paper provides the significance of nursing theories by stating that they provide nursing with an operating framework. Nursing theories give life to the nursing field by defining the role of nurses with justification and the required competencies. Nightingale was the first nursing theorist and hence gave rise to the concept of nursing. Although there was nursing before her contribution, the community did not regard the practice. There was no support with tools, guidance on educational requirements, or even autonomy in the field. However, Nightingale advocated for education, support, and practice for nurses leading to independence and professionalism. Nightingale’s overall impact in the profession is the development of evidence-based research in modern-day nursing. This paper demonstrates that her dedication to research, analyze, and record the military hospital conditions led to confirmation on the value of evidence-based research. Nightingale’s contribution is evidence of the importance of nursing theories to provide a form to the practice.
Keywords: Florence Nightingale, Nursing Theories, Professionalism, Autonomy, Research
Abstract
Nursing Theorist, Florence Nightingale
Introduction
Nursing theories have led to growth in the field of nursing to independent professional practice in modern days. The frameworks provide a framework for nursing practice through the improved definition of nursing, roles of nurses, and reasons for such responsibilities. Their significant contribution has been to make nursing more specific and hence improve standards of care to patients. The theories date back in 1860, when Florence Nightingale developed the first model known as environmental theory (Shetty, 2016). This paper explores the contribution of Nightingale in nursing and the impact of the theory in modern-day nursing.
Nightingale’s Background
Nightingale is a renowned first nursing theorist due to her contribution to providing form to the field of nursing. The theorist was born in Italy, Florence, as the first name suggests in 1820 in a wealthy family and hence, obtained proper education and care (Karimi & Masoudi, 2015). Nightingale’s engagement in nursing started when she was young at 16 years after defying her parent’s wishes on profession and marriage (Shetty, 2016). She defended herself, claiming a calling in social care and hence had to take a profession in nursing and do without marriage to the prominent family as the parents suggested. Nightingale, after training in nursing, first worked as a superintendent in a hospital serving poor women. She also served in a military hospital during the Crimean war and advised the British and the US governments on army healthcare.
Result of Florence Nightingale’s Contribution
The result of Nightingale’s contribution is autonomous and professional nursing. The theorists came at a time when nursing was struggling with independence, including gender discrimination, societal acceptance, and education for nurses (Shetty, 2016). The community, including other hospital staff, did not recognize nursing as a severe field that had a specific contribution to healthcare. There was no framework of education, management, support for nurses through different resources, and code of conduct. However, Nightingale advocated and guided for reforms, especially while in the military hospital. She demonstrated that nursing needed proper management and wrote about appropriate nursing practice (Karimi & Masoudi, 2015). Nightingale also advocated for adequate and right supplies from the government. There was also pressure on the government to provide different improvements to help nurses serve military patients. Another contribution to professionalism was the selection of nurses based on qualifications and without gender discrimination. Through various advocacy, nursing becomes an independent profession.
Nightingale’s Impact on the Profession of Nursing
Nightingale initiated evidence-based practice, which has changed nursing practice in improving the patient’s health. As a statistician, Nightingale utilized research and statistics to record and develop solutions to the military hospital condition leading to reduced fatalities from 34% to 2% (Shetty, 2016). Today, evidence-based practice has received full recognition as significant in improving patient care. Professional nurses utilize the best evidence to provide patient care, including the collection of information about patient culture and illnesses (Chien, 2019). Nurses also use data to develop the profession further by identifying areas that need improvement. Through Nightingale’s discovery of the power in research, more nurses have emerged with nursing theory improving the profession further.
Conclusion
The study on Nightingale’s contribution to nursing provides evidence on the value of nursing theories in improving the field. Nightingale serves as the foundation of the nursing profession by establishing that nurses have independent vital roles. She brought light into the proper management of nurses, education, qualification, and practices. Nightingale impacts modern-day nursing through evidence-based research that has led to further recognition of the value of nurses due to improved patient outcomes.
References
Chien, L. Y. (2019). Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research. The Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4), e29.
Karimi, H. & Masoudi N. (2015). Florence Nightingale: The Mother of Nursing. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 4(2), e29475.
Shetty, A. P. (2016). Florence Nightingale: The queen of nurses. Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences, 4(1), 144.