Florence Nightingale:

“Environmental Theory””
 Writings
• Notes on Matters Affecting
Health
• Notes on Hospital
• Efficiency and Hospital
Administration of the British
Army
• Report on Measures Adopted for
Sanitary Improvements in India
• Notes on Nursing
Environmental Theory
 Environmental
Theory
• The first published nursing
theory (1860)
• Gives emphasis on the healing
properties of the physical
environment (fresh air, light,
warmth, and cleanliness)
• Nursing puts patients in the “best
condition” for nature to act upon
• Health is “the positive of which the
pathology is the negative”
 Environmental
Theory
• “Nature alone cures”
• When aspects of the
environment are out of balance,
the client must use energy to
counter these environmental
stresses
• Viewed disease as a reparative
process
• The health of the
home/community are critical
 Environmental Factors Affecting
Health
• Ventilation and warmth
• Light
• Cleanliness
• Health of houses
• Noise
• Bed and Bedding
• Personal Cleanliness
• Variety
• Chattering hopes and advices
• Taking food
• Petty Management
• Observation of the Sick
 Importance of the Theory in
Nursing
• Education
– Nightingale’s principles of Nursing Training
provided a universal template for early
nurse training schools (beginning with St.
Thomas Hospital)
• Research
– Concepts that Nightingale identified served
as the basis of research to modern theories
 Importance of The Theory in
Nursing
• Practice
– The environmental aspects of her theory
(ventilation, warmth, quiet, diet and
cleanliness) remain integral components of
nursing care
 Importance of The Theory in
Nursing
In General…
• Nightingale’s theory has been used to provide
general guidelines for all nurses
• The relationship concepts (nurse, patient and
environment) are applicable in all nursing
settings today
Nursing Metaparadigm
 PERSON
• “the patient”
• Recipient of nursing care
• A human being acted upon by a nurse, or
affected by the environment
• Has reparative powers to deal with disease
• Recovery is in the patient’s power as long as a
safe environment exist
 HEALTH
• Holistic level of wellness that the person experiences
• Maintained by using a person’s healing powers to
their fullest extent
• Maintained by controlling the environmental factors
as to prevent disease
• Disease is viewed as a reparative process instituted by
nature
• Health and disease are the focus of the nurse
• Nurses help patients through the healing process
 ENVIRONMENT
• The foundational component of Nightingale’s
theory
• The external and internal aspects of life that
influence the person
• Includes everything from a person’s food to a
nurse’s verbal and nonverbal interactions with
the patient
 NURSING
• Nursing is essential for everybody’s well-being
• Having responsibility for someone else’s health
• Notes on Nursing: provides women with
guidelines for caring for their loved ones at home
and gives advice on how to “think like a nurse”
• Trained nurses however, applies additional
scientific principles to their work and more
skilled in observing their patients
TRIVIA
 DID YOU KNOW?
• Florence’s father, William Edward’s
original surname was SHORE but
when he inherited his great uncle’s
wealth, he changed his surname to
“Nightingale”, his great uncle’s surname
 DID YOU KNOW?
• Florence’s father, William Edward’s
original surname was SHORE but
when he inherited his great uncle’s
wealth, he changed his surname to
“Nightingale”, his great uncle’s surname
 DID YOU KNOW?
• Florence’s father, William Edward’s
original surname was SHORE but
when he inherited his great uncle’s
wealth, he changed his surname to
“Nightingale”, his great uncle’s surname
 DID YOU KNOW?
• Florence’s father, William Edward’s
original surname was SHORE but
when he inherited his great uncle’s
wealth, he changed his surname to
“Nightingale”, his great uncle’s surname
Source/s: