Florence Nightingale Trivia

1. In 1837, when Florence was just 17 years old, she received a Christian divine calling to do God's work. What did she initially think she was meant to do?

From Quiz Going with the Flo - Florence Nightingale

Answer: She was unsure

Initially, Florence was unsure of what He wanted her to do. She had an interest in caring for the homeless as well as tending the sick. It wasn't until she was 24 that she knew she must do nursing. At the time nursing was not a respectable profession and required neither training nor intelligence. As a result, nurses were viewed as little more than prostitutes. Naturally, her family was horrified and angry about the idea. Florence was raised as an affluent young woman and as such, was expected to marry well and raise a family. But Florence rebelled against this and followed her desires to tend the poor and ill.

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Italy

In Florence, actually, and she was named after the city of her birth. Her parents were on a two-year honeymoon all over Europe.

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Parthenope

Parthenope was born in Naples and, in keeping with the city-of-birth theme, was named after the ancient Greek name for the city.

From Quiz Going with the Flo - Florence Nightingale

Answer: Germany

In England, around the time Florence first began tending to the sick; there were no training schools for nurses. So for the next eleven years she visited hospitals around Britain, gaining knowledge through experience. However, after hearing about this new hospital, Florence was determined to go there. She travelled to Germany where she spent four months at the Institute of Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserwerth. Whilst it was not formal training, she gained invaluable medical experience. Here, she was permitted to assist with operations, something unheard of and prohibited in England. She realised also that it was possible to make nursing into a vocation for ladies.

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: She heard a call from God

Florence's parents were dedicated Unitarians, which explains her strong interest in science and her desire to improve the world around her. When she heard the call from God she wasn't sure what work she was supposed to do.

From Quiz Going with the Flo - Florence Nightingale

Answer: From "The Times" newspaper

The war correspondent of "The Times", William Russell, wrote of the appalling conditions and lamented the fact there were no nurses and few doctors to treat the thousands of injured soldiers. Florence read this and immediately wrote to her friend, Sidney Herbert offering her services. Shortly before Sidney received Florence's letter, he himself wrote to Florence to ask if she would go and supervise the military hospital there. A few days later, Florence left for the war with a group of nurses and no real idea of what awaited them. Although she had been informed that there were ample supplies in the hospital, Florence followed her intuition and purchased food and equipment on the way.

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Crimean War

She is best known for this work, even though it was only a small part of her career. Her introduction of female nurses into military hospitals was the first of its kind. Her criticism of the appalling conditions in the hospitals caused the army surgeons to reject her at first. Only one in six soldiers died from war wounds, and the other five from diseases, mostly caused by poor hygiene. Florence used her society contacts to become a whistle blower and after much publicity she was given the task of introducing some rudimentary hygiene measures, which greatly reduced the mortality rate among the soldiers.

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Making nursing a respectable profession

Florence established the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860 at St. Thomas' Hospital. Probationers received one year of training, mostly practical but with some lectures.

From Quiz Going with the Flo - Florence Nightingale

Answer: Crimean War

The Crimean War lasted from 1854 until 1856 and was caused by the contest over territories belonging to the failing Ottoman Empire. At night the hospital wards were run by male orderlies, however, Florence insisted upon checking all the patients herself. She was impressed with the soldiers' bravery, and tended them gently and with dignity. In return, the soldiers treated her with the utmost respect. It has been said that the soldiers would kiss her shadow when it fell on their pillows, but this has not been substantiated. The soldiers first called her the lady with the lamp and this was subsequently reported in "The Times" where they also called her a "Ministering Angel". After the war she was immortalised in the poem: "Santa Filomena" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "Lo! In that hour of misery A lady with a lamp I see Pass through the glimmering gloom, And flit from room to room."

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Notes on Nursing

The booklet outlined for the first time what nursing as a separate profession should be. It is still in print today and even available on the net: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/nightingale/nursing/nursing.html

From Quiz The Lady with the Lamp

Answer: Order of Merit

Florence died at the age of 90, on Aug. 13, 1910. Even though some of her beliefs have been disproved by science, her contribution to nursing as an art and a science is invaluable. Her writings are still of interest to nurses and other health care professionals today.

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