Florence Nightingale’s Biography & Greatest Accomplishments
Other Florence Nightingale’s achievements
Accomplishments of Florence Nightingale
- Florence Nightingale helped raise funds for the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital (opened in 1862) in Aylesbury, South East England.
- She worked very hard to end draconian prostitution laws that unduly punished women that were already vulnerable. She believed wholeheartedly that the reforms she advocated in the Red Light districts would not only empower women but change the way society perceive them.
- Nightingale encouraged and called for an increase in female participation in the workforce.
- In 1907, she became the first woman to receive the Order of Merit for her remarkable contribution to not just the nursing profession but also her distinguished humanitarian endeavors. The honor was established by King Edward VII in 1902 to award personalities like Nightingale who have served in the armed forces, art, science, literature, or for the promotion of culture.
- In 1908, the Honorary Freedom of the City of London was bestowed upon Nightingale. The honor is similar to the Key to the City award often present in countries like the United States.
- She mentored and trained many nurses who went on to become leading matrons and superintendents of hospitals and nursing training schools. Most notable examples include Linda Richards, Isla Stewart, Alice Fisher, and Sarah Elizabeth Wardroper.
- She was also a good statistician as she often presented data in a visual format (infographics).
- In some respect, Florence Nightingale was regarded as a leading pioneer of medical tourism. While volunteering as a nurse in the Crimea, she sometimes wrote about the benefits of spas and traditional Turkish steam baths (hamam) in the Ottoman Empire.
- In 1904, Florence Nightingale was given the title Lady of Grace of the Order of St John (LGStJ), a royal order of chivalry established in 1888 by Queen Victoria.
- Due to her immense contribution to nursing, her birthday – May 12 – is observed each year around the world as International Nurses Day (IND). The day honors the invaluable services nurses render to our society.
