Person
Nightingale believed that the individual's well being was based in the physical. The individual was of less importance then the sum of the parts. Heal the body, and the rest would follow. Personally, I believe that the individual must be looked at as a whole. Soul, mind, and body must be healed together, each taken into account. One cannot separate a person into separate parts.
Environment
This was a major focus of Nightingale's nursing care. She believed that a calm, clean, restful environment was essential to the health of the patient. Small things, such as how long a food tray was left by the patient, up to the importance of sanitation were all topics that Nightingale addressed. I agree with Miss Nightingale that environment is an important part of the care of a patient. Environment includes not only the physical factors that Nightingale described, but also the intangibles such as the attitude of those involved in the care of the patient. The patient should also feel that he has some control over this environment. Even something as simple as being able to turn on and off a light can help.
Health/Illness
Personally, I cannot separate the soul, mind, and body. When one part sickens, the rest follow. Stress, often seen as a mental problem, causes physiological changes in the body. Illness is an imbalance of the body, mind, and soul. Only by addressing the person as a whole can optimal wellness be achieved.
Nursing
Florence saw nursing as a calling, a profession to dedicate your life too. She taught technical skills, as well as techniques. She saw Nursing as a science, and promoted sanitation, diet, environment, and the idea that nurses were respectable. Nurses were responsible for the day to day care of the patient, and were limited to that function.
In my opinion, Nursing is an ever growing, ever changing profession. What was not possible for us to do yesterday, may be allowed tomorrow. It was not so long ago that nurses were not even allowed to start IV's, yet today we have certifications in that field. Today, doctors depend on nurses to keep them informed on the state of the patient, relying on the nurses judgement. In Victorian times, Nightingale felt that nurses had no right to infringe on what she considered the doctor's realm. Today, a nurse cannot survive without a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology, disease processes, as well as psychology. It is an exciting time to be a nurse, and I think Florence Nightingale would be proud of where we are, and where we are going.
Bibliography
Strachy, Lytton. Eminent Victorians. (1918) Harcourt Brace and Company, Orlando, FL. Pp. 135-202.
Florence Nighingale Museum. The Florence Nightingale Story http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/flo2.htm.
Accessed 4/3/99.