The 'Lady with the Lamp'
Florence Nightingale was a trailblazing figure in nursing who greatly affected the 19th- and 20th-century policies around proper care. Throughout the U.S. Civil War, she was frequently consulted about how to best manage field hospitals. She was known for her night rounds to aid the wounded, establishing her image as the 'Lady with the Lamp.' During the Crimean War, she and a team of nurses improved the unsanitary conditions at a British base hospital, reducing the death count by two-thirds. Nightingale also served as an authority on public sanitation issues in India for both the military and civilians, although she had never been to India herself.
Nightingale's Legacy
Thanks to Nightingale, nursing was no longer frowned upon by the upper classes; it had, in fact, come to be viewed as an honorable vocation. Upon arrival to the British base hospital, Nightingale humbled herself and set out to clean the infected hospital and care for injured soldiers in the midst of a war. As was customary for Nightingale, her own needs and safety were set aside so that the needs of others could be met.