Florence Nightingale - Biography, Facts & Nursing
                     Florence Nightingale – 
Biography, Facts & Nursing
Introduction
Florence Nightingale was an English social reformer, 
statistician and the founder of modern nursing. 
Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a 
manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean 
War, in which she organised care for wounded 
soldiers at Constantinople.
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Source: en.wikipedia.org
About Florence 
Nightingale
• Born: 12 May 1820 in Florence, Italy
• Lived in: England, UK
• Occupation: Nurse
• Died: 13 August 1910
• Best known for: Founding modern nursing
• Also known as: Lady with the Lamp
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Source: www.natgeokids.com
Birth
Florence Nightingale was born in the city of Florence, Italy, 
on 12 May 1820 whilst her parents were enjoying a long 
honeymoon. Her parents were called William and Fanny 
Nightingale, and she had one older sister, too – Frances 
Parthenope.
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Source: www.natgeokids.com
William Nightingale
William Nightingale was a wealthy banker and was able to 
provide his family with a very privileged life. They had 
servants and two lovely houses – a winter home in 
Hampshire and a summer home in Derbyshire.
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Source: www.natgeokids.com
What did Florence 
Nightingale do?
When she was 16 years old, she believed she heard a voice 
from God calling for her to carry out important work to help 
those suffering. She wanted to be a nurse.
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Source: www.natgeokids.com
Early years and 
study
Florence and her sister, Parthenope, were tutored by their 
father in languages, mathematics, and history. Though 
Florence was tempted by the idea of a brilliant social life and 
marriage, she also wanted to achieve independence, 
importance in some field of activity, and obedience to God 
through service to society.
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Source: www.notablebiographies.com
Early years and 
study cont.
In 1844 Nightingale decided that she wanted to work in 
hospitals. Her family objected strongly to her plan; hospital 
conditions at that time were known to be terrible, and nurses 
were untrained and thought to be of questionable morals. 
Ignoring all resistance, Nightingale managed to visit some 
hospitals and health facilities. She then received permission 
from her parents to spend a few months at Kaiserworth, a 
German training school for nurses and female teachers.
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Source: www.notablebiographies.com
War efforts
In October of 1854 Nightingale organized a party of thirty-
eight nurses, mostly from different religious orders, for 
service in the Crimean War (1853–56), in which Great Britain, 
France, and Sardinia fought against Russian expansion in 
Europe. The nurses arrived at Constantinople (now Istanbul, 
Turkey) in November.
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Source: www.notablebiographies.com
Hospital reform 
efforts back home
Florence Nightingale left Scutari in the summer of 1856, 
soon after the war ended. By then she was famous among 
the troops and the public as the "Lady with the Lamp" and 
the "Nightingale in the East.
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Source: www.notablebiographies.com
Later years
Nightingale's personality is well documented. She rebelled 
against the idle, sheltered existence of her family her entire 
life. She achieved a leading position in a world dominated by 
men, driving and directing her male coworkers as hard as 
she did herself. 
She often complained that women were selfish, and she had 
no time for the growing women's rights movement. She died 
on August 13, 1910, in London, England.
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Source: www.notablebiographies.com