Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May 1820 in Florence, Italy, and died on 13 August 1910 in London, England. Recognized as the founder of modern nursing, Nightingale transformed nursing practices and shaped health reforms through statistical analysis.

Early Life and Education

Florence Nightingale was born into a wealthy and cultured family. Her father, William Edward Nightingale, ensured she received an education in classical literature, philosophy and mathematics philosophy. During the Victorian era, when academic education for girls was limited, Florence’s broad education enabled her to engage with statistics and science at an early age.

As a young girl, Nightingale reported feeling a divine Yet calling from God to help others, and she dedicated her life to service. Despite her family’s objections, she received nursing training in 1850 at a nursing school in Kaiserswerth, Germany.

Career and Achievements

During the Crimean War, which began in 1854, Florence Nightingale responded to a call from the British government and traveled with 38 nurses to the Selimiye Kışlası on Ottoman territory. The health conditions for wounded British soldiers at this barracks in Üsküdar Istanbul were deplorable. Through improved hygiene, nutrition and systematic care, Nightingale reduced mortality rates from 60 percent to 2 percent.

She earned the nickname “The Lady with the Lamp” for her habit of making nightly rounds with a lamp to attend to wounded soldiers.

Nursing Education and Institutionalization

Upon returning to England in 1856, she used her wartime observations to propose health reforms. In 1860, she founded the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London. This school was the first modern, secular nursing education institution in the world.

Nightingale’s approach to nursing emphasized that care must be grounded in scientific principles. Newly trained nurses began their careers by taking the Nightingale Pledge.

Key Works and Contributions

Contribution to Statistical Science

Nightingale was not only a nurse but also a passionate statistician. Influenced particularly by Adolphe Quetelet and William Farr, she began examining mortality rates and evaluating health conditions using graphical data.

In 1858, she became the first woman elected to the Royal Statistical Society. She developed an innovative graphical type called the polar area diagram, or coxcomb chart, to visually represent causes of death. These diagrams proved highly effective in persuading government authorities to support health reforms.

Health Reforms

Nightingale emphasized the importance of hygiene, ventilation, cleanliness, and discipline not only in military hospitals but also in civilian hospitals. She contributed to reforms in the health system under British colonial administration in India. By producing over 200 reports and letter, she helped improve health practices across diverse regions.

Personal Life

Florence Nightingale declined marriage and devoted her entire life to service. A devout Anglican, she integrated her religious beliefs with social work to improve people’s living conditions. Although she spent much of her life battling illness, she continued her writing and statistical work activities.

Later Years and Death

In her later years, due to declining health, she rarely appeared in public. In 1907, she became the first woman to receive the Merit from the British government. She died in 1910 at the age of 90 and was buried in London. At her own request, a simple funeral was held instead of a national ceremony.

Legacy and Impact

Florence Nightingale’s birthday, 12 May, has been celebrated as “World” since 1974. Her statistical approach helped establish nursing as a scientific discipline, and she left a lasting mark on health policy. The ethical and scientific dimensions Nightingale brought to the nursing profession remain one of the foundational pillars of modern healthcare systems.