May 12, 1820 - Born in Florence, Italy
Raised in Derbyshire, England
Educated by her father, William Nightingale
1849 - Studied European hospital system abroad
1850 - Began training in nursing at the Institute of Saint Vincent de Paul in Alexandria, Egypt.
1851 - Studied at the Institute for Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserworth, Germany.
1853 - Superintendent of the Hospital for Invalid Gentlewomen in London.
1854 - Assumed direction of all nursing operations at the request of the British Secretary of War - Crimean War (Turkey). Reduced mortality rate of soldiers through her nursing interventions
1859 - Wrote Notes on Hospitals
1860 - Founded the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at Saint Thomas' Hospital (London, England) -- The beginning of professional education in nursing
1860 - Wrote Notes on Nursing (first textbook on nursing)
1861 - Wrote Notes for the Labouring Classes
1907 - First woman to receive the British Order of Merit among other international awards
1908 - Freedom of the City of London was conferred upon her
Died - August 13, 1910

At a time when women rarely had careers and were more involved in marriage and family, Florence Nightingale embarked on a lifetime mission to establish nursing as a profession and as a respectable career for women. At the age of 34, after a year of unpaid duties in a London "Institution for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen," her friend Sidney Herbert (the Secretary of War) requested Florence's help to aid the injured English soldiers of the Crimean War (Baly, 1986, pg. 5). By her actions Florence challenged the prejudices against women and elevated the status of nurses by improving the sanitation methods, improving record- keeping practices and by collecting statistical data on the healthcare provided. Prior to her arrival, more men were dying from care in the military hospital than on the battle field. In one year she managed to coordinate a nursing staff, gain the confidence of the military medical staff and most importantly, cut the mortality rate from 60% to 2%. (Florence Nightingale Museum, London). Her ability to write and advocate for her causes helped educate a paternal society of the need for professional nurses, hygiene and sanitation. At the close of the war in 1860, she opened the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at St. Thomas's Hospital with a fund raised in tribute to her loyal dedication to the servicemen of England. The school marked the beginning of professional education in nursing. (Baly, 1986)

Nightingale's achievements in her lifetime are many and all promoted improvement and high standards for nursing care. These achievements include: Superintendency of the London Institution for the Care of the Sick Gentlewomen Distressed Circumstances; Superintendent of English nurses in the Crimean conflict; reform of English Army Medical School; establishment of military statistics, establishment of formalized nursing education at St. Thomas' Hospital, London; reform of hygiene standards for India; publication of more than 200 books and monographs. (Selanders, 1993) In 1907 she was also awarded, from King Edward, the Order of Merit "in recognition of invaluable services to the country and humanity" (Cook, 1913).

Perhaps her greatest achievement of all is her influence on nursing 89 years after her death. Her theories and ideas are the foundation of modern nursing care.

Bibliography

Baly, Monica (1986) Florence Nightingale and the Nursing Legacy. Croom Helm. Dover, New Hampshire
Cook, E. (1913) The Life of Florence Nightingale, London: MacMillan and Co., Limited
Florence Nightingale Museum - Tour (1997) London, England
Selanders, L.C. (1993) Florence Nighingale, London: Sage Publications
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. (1951) Florence Nightingale 1820-1920. McGraw-Hill Book Company. NY, NY