On May 12, 1820, Florence Nightingale was born in Florence. The biography of the future sister of mercy began with a curious fact. Parents named her after the city in which she was born. Her family had aristocratic roots, earned a lot, and a year after the birth of the girl, she returned to her homeland.
Beginning of a nursing career
As a very young girl, Florence decided that she would become a sister of mercy and would take care of the sick. At that time, this profession was not at all prestigious - mainly nuns were engaged in such a craft. Therefore, her noble family was against and forbade Florence to learn medical skills. Instead, she gained a lot of humanitarian knowledge, including learning several languages: Latin, Ancient Greek, German, Italian, and French.
The Nightingale family traveled extensively throughout Europe, and the girl recognized the life and customs of different nations, so to speak, first-hand. In Italy, where she was born, nursing was more developed, and there Florence learned a lot for herself. However, she finally changed her life at age 30 when she visited Germany, where she met in Kaiserwerth with the local level of development of medicine. Now parents could do nothing to stop Florence Nightingale. The biography of the professional doctor continued when she headed one of the most modern hospitals at that time in London. It happened in 1853.
Crimean War
As it turned out, it was very on time. For Britain, Florence Nightingale, whose biography is known to every Englishman, is a national heroine. And all because she went to the Crimean War, which began a year later, where she saved a huge number of British soldiers. They fought against the Russians in the very heat - in the Crimea. That's where Florence Nightingale headed. The woman’s biography is full of heroic deeds when she worked in terrible conditions very close to the front. Field hospitals under her leadership began to lift to the feet, it seemed, completely hopeless wounded, all thanks to the use of the latest methods of surgery. Nightingale strictly followed the rules of sanitation, so the operations took place without excesses, and the patients recovered and at least returned home, even if they could no longer fight. A huge number of wounded came after the battles near Sevastopol, where the batteries worked endlessly.
Soldiers returning from Russia told fantastic stories about Florence Nightingale. A brief biography of the woman was now known throughout the UK. She returned to her homeland as a heroine, after which she took up the comprehension of the experience that she had to gain during the war period. Over the next ten years, she published several books covering theoretical questions about caring for the sick and wounded. Her works became the basis for the emergence of modern nursing. Publications dispersed in large print runs and were published in other European countries.
Establishment of hospitals and educational development
Next, work began on creating an appropriate education system, inspired by Florence Nightingale. A brief biography of the woman was an example for many girls who began to enroll in her courses. In the future, they also developed nursing at other hospitals and in other countries. The greatest success in this direction can be considered the foundation of the Red Cross society, which was guided by the notes of Florence Nightingale. Biography and merit allowed her to become one of the brightest symbols of feminism.
Nightingale became the trustee of many hospitals, which at that time were massively opened throughout the British Empire - from Scotland to Australia. She sent money from her grants to founding new medical facilities in the colonies, where a difficult health situation was observed. The permanent military campaigns of the crown, associated with the expansion and protection of political interests, assumed a large number of wounded and mutilated.
Last years
In the last years of her life, a woman received many awards, including royal and state orders. She remained active until her death in 1910, when our heroine was 90 years old. Soon her birthday was proclaimed International Nursing Day. In addition, in 1912, the Red Cross established the Florence Nightingale Medal. She was handed and handed over for special merits in nursing. This is especially true of brave women working in hot spots, which, in comparison with the 19th century, are no less.
Value
Not only Great Britain, but the whole world owes much to Florence Nightingale. The biography (Cossack) of this woman is worthy of our contemporaries to get acquainted with her, at least in brief. The works of the famous nurse helped establish nursing in the countries of Central Asia during the era of the Soviet Union.
The daughters of Emperor Nicholas II, who worked in hospitals during the First World War, were largely inspired by the courageous example of Florence Nightingale.