1.

NIGHTINGALE’S ENVIRONMENTAL THEORY

Nightingale model of nursing was developed before the general acceptance of modern disease theories
(i.e., the germ theory) and other theories of medical science. She had deduced that cleanliness, fresh air,
sanitation, comfort and socialization were necessary to healing. She used her experiences in the (1)
SCUTARI ARMY HOSPITAL in Turkey and in other hospitals in which she worked to document her ideas
on nursing (Beck 2010; Dossey, 2010a, Small, 1998).

I. BACKGROUND OF THE THEORIST

Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, in (2) ITALY; her birthday is still honored in many places. She was
privately educated in the classical tradition of her time by her father, and from an early age, she was
inclined to care for the sick and injured (Bostridge, 2008; Dossey, 2010b). Although her mother wished
her to lead a life of social grace, Nightingale preferred productivity, choosing to school herself in the
care of the sick.

She attended nursing programs in (3) KAISERWERTH, GERMANY in 1850 and 1851 (Bostridge, 2008;
Dossey, 2010a; Small, 1998), where she completed what was at that time the only formal nursing
education available. She worked as the nursing superintendent at the Institution for Care of Sick
Gentlewomen in Distressed Circumstances, where she instituted many changes to improve patient care
(Cromwell, 2013; Small, 1998).

During the Crimean War, she was urged by (4) SIDNEY HERBERT, Secretary of War for Great Britain, to
assist in providing care for wounded soldiers. At Herbert’s request, Nightingale and a group of (5)
NURSES were transported to Turkey to provide nursing care to the soldiers in the hospital at (6)
SCUTARI ARMY BARRACKS.

Early in her work at the army hospital, She found that open sewers and (7) LACK OF CLEANLINESS, (8)
PURE WATER, (9) FRESH AIR, and wholesome food were more often the cause of soldiers’ deaths than
their wounds; she implemented changes to address these problems (Small, 1998).

Because of her nighty excursions through the wards to review the care of the soldiers she became
known as (10) THE LADY WITH THE LAMP at (11) HER NIGHTLY EXCURSIONS THROUGH THE WARDS TO
REVIEW THE CARE OF THE SOLDIERS. She is most remembered through the effort of building the
Nightingale School for Nurses at (12) ST. THOMAS’ HOSPITAL which was supported by the Nightingale
Fund in honor of her work in Crimea.