Florence Nightingale Influence On Nursing

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Florence Nightingale’s Influence on the Art and Science of Nursing To this day, the most admired person in nursing history would be Florence Nightingale. She will forever be an influential figure in the world of nursing due to her perseverance and critical thinking skills that saved so many lives during the Crimean War. There is no way to tell how long it could have taken nursing to evolve without the help of Nightingale. In her book, Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not, Nightingale described a multitude of factors that must be considered when helping the ill to recover and to have the healthy maintain their well-being (Nightingale, 1860/1969). Four chapters in her book are of high importance, chapter two, on Health of Homes, chapter …show more content…

Both are essential elements that complement each other while cooperating within the scope of nursing practice and the definition of nursing. In addition, Meehan (2009) states her definition of nursing, “modern nursing is a dynamic career, providing an incredibly board range of opportunities and a real chance to have an interesting successful career that makes a real difference to other people’s lives” (p.1). Meehan’s definition of nursing talks about having the ability to have a real difference in someone’s life that is exactly where the nursing art and science aspect comes in. In reference to Jasmine (2009) who is able to provide support on why nursing can be viewed as an art, a science, and the combination of the two. Nursing is described as a “complex union of art and science” (Jasmine, 2009, p. 415). All through Nightingale’s chapters of her book she integrated the arts and science of nursing; for example back in chapter two there were five aspects of keeping a clean home. The aspects would be the science part. When something requires the attention to be cleaned is when the art aspect comes in. The nurse taking care of the patients wants her patient to get better. Take precautions and keeping the rooms clean up to Nightingale’s standard. There is no exact clear-cut definition of what the integration of art and nursing is in every situation, however it is there and present in all

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