Florence Nightingale - MOTHER OF MODERN NURSING
By: Ezra Viktoria R. Haduca
“Lady with the Lamp”
- Place: Florence, Italy
- Birth: May 12, 1820 (International Nurses Day)
- Her father provided her with reputable education which was uncommon for a Victorian woman.
- According to Sir Thomas Cook, she was a linguist.
- She was a wife of an aristocrat.
- She was a Unitarian Christian and believed she had a religious calling. Death: August 13, 1910
First Nurse Educator
- Germany: place of the first nursing school
- Pastor Theodor Fleidner: a protestant pastor who opened a hospital in Kaiserswerth, Germany with no staff thus designed a school of nursing.
- Nightingale applied with a 12-page handwritten curriculum and became the 134 th nursing student to attend the school.
- She developed skills in both nursing care and management and used her gained knowledge as a reformer for the well-being of the citizens.
Crimean War English VS. Turkish
- Hospital barracks were infested with fleas and rats.
- Sewage flowed under the wards
- Mortality rate at the hospital was 42.7% of those treated; higher from disease than from war injuries
- Six months later, mortality rate dropped to 2.2% and was achieved by attending to the environment of the soldiers.
- Heroine in Great Britain
- Awarded with Order of Merit by Great Britain
Writings
- Notes on Matters Affecting Health
- Notes on Hospital
- Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army
- Report on Measures Adopted for Sanitary Improvements in India
- Notes on Nursing
Nightingale’s Environmental Theory
Theory basis : the inter-relationship of a healthful environment with nursing External influences and conditions can prevent, suppress, or contribute to disease or death
Theory goal : Nurses help patients retain their own vitality by meeting their basic needs through control of the environment
Nursing’s Focus : control of the environment for individuals, families and the community
Nightingale’s Environmental Theory
- The first published nursing theory (1860)
- Persons are in connection with the environment
- Gives emphasis on the healing properties of the physical environment (fresh air, light, warmth and cleanliness)
- Nursing puts patients in the “best conditions” for nature to act upon them Health is “the positive of which the pathology is the negative”
- “Nature alone cures”
- When aspects of the environment are out of balance, the client must use energy to counter these environmental stresses
- Viewed disease as a reparative process
- The health of the home/community are critical components in an individual’s health
Environmental Factors Affecting Health
Ventilation and warmth
- check the patient’s body temperature, room temperature, ventilation and foul odors
Light
- check room for adequate light (sunlight is beneficial to the patient)
- create and implement adequate light in the room without placing the patient in direct sunlight
Cleanliness
- check and keep room from dust, dampness and dirt
- check surrounding for fresh air, pure water, drainage, cleanliness and light
- remove garbage and stagnant water
Noise
- check and attempt to keep noise level in minimum
Bed and Bedding
- keep the bed dry, wrinkle-free and lowest height to ensure comfort
- keep the patient dry and clean at all times
- attempt to accomplish variety in the room
Chattering hopes and advices
- respect the patient and avoid personal talk
Taking food
- document the plan of care and evaluate the outcome to ensure continuity of care
- check the diet of the patient
- note the amount of food and liquid ingested by the patient in every meal
- observe the patient’s environment and record anything about the patient
Metaparadigm in Nursing (PERSON)
- Referred to by Nightingale as “the patient”
- Recipient of nursing care
- A human being acted upon by a nurse, or affected by the environment
- Has reparative powers to deal with disease
- Recovery is in the patient’s power as long as a safe environment exists
Metaparadigm in Nursing (HEALTH)
- Holistic level of wellness that the person experiences
- Maintained by using a person’s healing powers to their fullest extent
- Maintained by controlling the environmental factors so as to prevent disease Disease is viewed as a reparative process instituted by nature
- Health and disease are the focus of the nurse
- Nurses help patients through their healing process
Metaparadigm in Nursing (ENVIRONMENT)
- The foundational component of Nightingale’s theory
- The external and internal aspects of life that influence the person
- Includes everything from a person’s food to a nurse’s verbal and nonverbal interactions with the patient
Metaparadigm in Nursing (NURSING)
- Nursing is essential for everybody’s well-being
- It is having the responsibility for someone else’s health.
- Notes on Nursing : provides women with guidelines for caring for their loved ones at home and gives advice on how to “think like a nurse”
Acceptance By The Nursing Community
EDUCATION
- Nightingale’s principles of Nursing training provided a universal template for early nurse training school beginning with St. Thomas Hospital
- Nightingale’s interest in scientific inquiry and statistics continues to define the scientific inquiry used in nursing research.
- Concepts that Nightingale identified served as the basis of research to test modern theories
PRACTICE
- The environmental aspects of her theory (ventilation, warmth, quiet, diet and cleanliness) remain integral components of nursing care.
CRITIQUE
SIMPLICITY
Three Major Relationships:
A. Environment to Patient
- Environment was the main factor creating illness in a patient
- Nurses need to manipulate the environment to enhance the patient’s recovery
- Suggests collaboration and cooperation between the nurse and the patient
Conservation of energy while allowing the patient to participate in self-care
GENERALITY
- Nightingale’s theory has been used to provide general guidelines for all nurses
- The universality and timelessness of her concepts remain pertinent
- The relation concepts (nurse, patient and environment) are applicable in all nursing settings today
EMPIRICAL PRECISION
- Nightingale’s theory are presented as truths rather than tentative, testable statements
- She advised nurses that their practice should be based on their observation and experiences rather than systematic, empirical research
DERIVABLE CONSEQUENCES
- Deeply religious, she viewed nursing as a means of doing the will of God (Nursing is a divine calling)
- Her encouragement for a measure of independence and precision guides and motivates nurses today as the profession continues to evolve
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