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CHAP TER

Florence Nightingale
1820–1910

Modern Nursing

Susan A. Pfettscher

“Recognition of nursing as a professional endeavor distinct from medicine began with Nightingale”
(Chinn & Kramer, 2011, p. 26).

others tutored her in mathematics, languages, religion,
Credentials and Background and philosophy (influences on her lifework). Although
of the Theorist she participated in the usual Victorian aristocratic
Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, activities and social events during her adolescence,
was born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy, while Nightingale developed the sense that her life should
her parents were on an extended European tour; she become more useful. In 1837, Nightingale wrote about
was named after her birthplace. The Nightingales her “calling” in her diary: “God spoke to me and called
were a well-educated, affluent, aristocratic Victorian me to his service” (Holliday & Parker, 1997, p. 491).
family with residences in Derbyshire (Lea Hurst their The nature of her calling was unclear to her for some
primary home) and Hampshire (Embley Park). This time. After she understood that she was called to
latter residence was near London, allowing the family become a nurse, she was able to complete her nursing
to participate in London’s social seasons. training in 1851 at Kaiserwerth, Germany, a Protestant
Although the extended Nightingale family was religious community with a hospital facility. She was
large, the immediate family included only Florence there for approximately 3 months, and at the end, her
Nightingale and her older sister, Parthenope. During teachers declared her trained as a nurse.
her childhood, Nightingale’s father educated her more After her return to England, Nightingale was em-
broadly than other girls of the time. Her father and ployed to examine hospital facilities, reformatories,

Previous authors: Susan A. Pfettscher, Karen R. de Graff, Ann Marriner Tomey, Cynthia L. Mossman, and Maribeth Slebodnik.

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