The Lady with the Lamp Trivia Quiz

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.

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.

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.

Answer: False

In mid-nineteenth century England nursing was not a job for respectable women. Nurses were usually poor, uneducated women whose job it was to run and fetch for the doctors, carry slops and roll bandages. Florence got her way anyway after she visited a Christian hospital and school for deaconesses in Germany. Her training period was three months.

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.

Answer: Took part in the decision making team on handing out decorations

The "Lady-in-Chief" was enormously popular both with the soldiers and the British public.

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.

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

Answer: True

She was bedridden for most of the rest of her life. It used to be thought that she had a psychosomatic illness, but there is good evidence that she was a victim of a form of Brucellosis, possibly transmitted through goats' milk.

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.