Florence Nightingale’s Nursing Philosophy

The nursing profession today is being recognized all over the world due to the recent increase in demand for nursing professionals and caregivers. Today, more and more students are encouraged to take and pursue a nursing degree in college due to the opportunities awaiting them in the medical field—an opportunity which was sparked and started long ago by a caregiver and health care provider by the name of Florence Nightingale. Since Nightingale’s establishment of a concrete nursing philosophy, the nursing practice was never the same. Nightingale’s view on health care was simplistic yet holistic. She believed that nurses are born with a given responsibility on their shoulders to provide humane and sensitive aid selflessly to the sick, to do anything within their power to alleviate the pains and illness of the patients, and to support the professional doctors to the best of their abilities (Kleiman). During Nightingale’s time, the women were experiencing extreme discrimination under the government of Great Britain. The government suppressed the women and prohibited them to contribute in any way to the affairs of the state. Thus, this pushed Nightingale to fight for her point of view as a health care provider and prove the women nurse’s worth (Bruner). She was very strong and firm on her principle which involves providing health care selflessly regardless of gender, with sensitive consideration to the ill and the needy. This humanistic philosophy is what guided Florence Nightingale to push through the now established philosophy of nursing and care giving which has been eternally symbolized by her, holding a lighted lamp which kindles the hopes of the ill. Thus, Nightingale’s philosophy is truly an inspiration. It stands as a reminder for me to stay humble and focused on my future responsibilities as a nurse. It also reminds me of the importance of providing health care without biases and reservation—anyone who seeks medical help is a patient that doctors and nurses should attend to.