Introduction
It is difficult to imagine modern nursing without Florence Nightingale’s contribution. More than a hundred years after her death, she is still considered one of the most influential people who helped to advance the profession’s development. Many people argue about what she would feel about modern-day nursing.
Main body
Florence Nightingale made a significant contribution to nursing. In 1860, she founded Nightingale Training School for Nurses, creating an institution dedicated to educating professional nurses (Maranzani, 2020). Due to her efforts, nursing became an honorable vacation with a list of established standards and necessary qualifications (Maranzani, 2020). These days there are many colleges and universities that offer nursing programs aimed at educating competent specialists with high ethical principles. Also, there are many professional nursing organizations in the United States, such as the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurse Association, and others. Their operations ensure that nurses are provided with resources and support networks beneficial for their practice. I believe that Florence Nightingale would be pleased with how developed nursing as a profession has become.
Nightingale created an ethical framework for nursing. Her Environment theory emphasizes the importance of altering a patient’s environment (such as ensuring fresh air, food supplies, sunlight, pure water, and cleanliness) to improve their health (Nightingale’s environmental theory, n.d.). At the beginning of her medical practice, Nightingale experienced poor hygienic conditions which prompted her to put efforts into improving them (Maranzani, 2020). I believe that modern-day nursing can show significant developments in understanding patients needs and creating the best conditions for them. Hygienic standards have also drastically improved with much more awareness surrounding this issue.
Conclusion
However, modern nursing also has its problems. In her works, Nightingale emphasized that nursing is a calling (Nightingale’s environmental theory, n.d.). However, these days, many people choose the profession randomly or due to unemployment fear without giving careful consideration to its demands. As a result, some of these nurses suffer from occupational burnout, while others may even harm their patients.
References
Maranzani, B. (2020). How Florence Nightingale’s hygiene crusade saved millions. Biography. Web.
Nightingale’s environment theory. (n.d.). Nursing theory. Web.