If there is a person who could be credited for making nursing a legitimate profession in the healthcare sector, it is Florence Nightingale. The Lady with the Lamp, an advocate of the fundamental healthcare rights of war veterans and wounded soldiers, she was truly a golden ray of light in the war-stricken era of the 19th century. Nightingale embarked upon her nursing career within the Crimean War, tending to the injured soldiers on the battlefield.
In addition to caring for the troops, she also provided designs for better sanitary conditions of the patients in hospitals. In this regard, Nightingale was a remarkable hospital administrator. Even to this day, in the highly evolved healthcare industry, we can trace back many of the medical innovations in hospitals back to Florence Nightingale.
Here are five valuable lessons that we can learn from Florence Nightingale:
Valor and Audacity
Florence Nightingale was born to an aristocratic British family, but her affluence did not come in the way of her work. She was full of valor and quite audacious whenever the situation demanded. She was courageous enough to ask the Queen of England for political backing, or the public for funding, and succeeded in these endeavors. Nightingale really understood the essence of the word privilege – she made use of her advantages to fight for the rights of the deprived.
Logic and Discipline
Florence wasn’t the sort of a person who would make an argument without sufficient facts. One cannot possibly eliminate the role Nightingale played at Scutari, Turkey. In order to make people realize the horrifying conditions of the British army hospitals in the war zone, she charted out death rates and infections amongst the soldiers. Her discipline and logic are notable, for she proved her point with facts. Her revolutionary action plan depicts that common sense and discipline are essential to be effective.
Compassion
She was a compassionate individual – she understood that patient care involves empathizing with them. Her intrinsic compassion wanted her to do something more for her wards at the barrack hospital than just drinking. Therefore, she decided to lay the foundation of a patient library, so that the wounded would be able to occupy themselves with something substantial. Her compassion and empathy, today, make us realize the importance of truly interacting with the sick for their wellbeing.
Just and Fair
Quite contrary to the radical mindset of Victorian England, Nightingale was a firm believer that to perform triage, medical conditions of the patient held more value than the rank of the militia. Even though her methods are outdated today, her just and fair ways are important lessons that need to be highlighted.
Initiative
Florence Nightingale wasn’t a person who believed in giving up. She took initiatives and was not hindered by obstacles. When she was informed that there was no funding to refurbish a demolished hospital wing, she somehow managed to finance it and hired a Turkish crew to accomplish the task. Today, we can tackle challenging situations if we follow the path of Florence Nightingale and not find excuses for our shortcomings.