4.25

3

Dec 28, 2013

A piece of history, I enjoyed reading nursing pioneer Florence Nightingales account of nursing in a time when the profession was not widely respected or even considered to be a feasible career.

The language is, of course, typical of the era of which it was written in which requires an amount of concentration by the reader to fully understand the overall message.

I read this from a purely historical interest point of view while I was training as a nurse myself. It's interesting to see what A piece of history, I enjoyed reading nursing pioneer Florence Nightingales account of nursing in a time when the profession was not widely respected or even considered to be a feasible career.

The language is, of course, typical of the era of which it was written in which requires an amount of concentration by the reader to fully understand the overall message.

I read this from a purely historical interest point of view while I was training as a nurse myself. It's interesting to see what aspects are still applicable to nurses today. ...more

4

Apr 29, 2018

I read this purely for the historical aspect of nursing. I didn’t expect that I’d get a good laugh every few pages. Florence Nightingale was one sassy/sarcastic lady. Ms. Nightingale is my 18th century spirit animal. Besides the humor that I so enjoyed, it was an interesting perspective on some aspects of nursing during the 18th century. Im convinced that if every medical professional had the forethought and “common-sense” nursing perspective, as Nightingale called it, the world would be a much I read this purely for the historical aspect of nursing. I didn’t expect that I’d get a good laugh every few pages. Florence Nightingale was one sassy/sarcastic lady. Ms. Nightingale is my 18th century spirit animal. Besides the humor that I so enjoyed, it was an interesting perspective on some aspects of nursing during the 18th century. Im convinced that if every medical professional had the forethought and “common-sense” nursing perspective, as Nightingale called it, the world would be a much better place. ...more

4

Mar 02, 2015

I loved this peek into the world of nursing through the eyes of Florence Nightingale.

Nightingale lived during the Victorian Age during the Industrial Revolution in the mid 1800's. She witnesses to hearing a call of God when she was 16 which eventually led her into ministering to the sick.

Possessing superior administrative skills and viewing nursing as an art not just a science she has stated that, "Every woman is a nurse."

Common sense natural health suggestions were presented in each chapter I loved this peek into the world of nursing through the eyes of Florence Nightingale.

Nightingale lived during the Victorian Age during the Industrial Revolution in the mid 1800's. She witnesses to hearing a call of God when she was 16 which eventually led her into ministering to the sick.

Possessing superior administrative skills and viewing nursing as an art not just a science she has stated that, "Every woman is a nurse."

Common sense natural health suggestions were presented in each chapter such as the importance of light, proper nutrition, and complete consideration for the one ill in regards to noises and environment. Proper air ventilation and cleanliness without harsh smells were touched on as well as warmth and quiet for the ill were deemed crucial to one's quality of health.

As a mother, I am a nurse and benefitted from the notes of Nightingale. This little classic should be required reading to all going into the ministry of serving the sick. ...more

5

May 26, 2010

Since I am studying nursing, this was a really interesting read. Written by the lady who made nursing a respectable career, I enjoy comparing the methods she was inspired to use vs. the way we do things in our day. Her language is very "Jane Austen-like"....and to the point. The most interesting point I learned was her belief that the quality of air we breathe is the single most important thing to making a sick person healthy and keeping healthy people healthy. Further, she says that even in the Since I am studying nursing, this was a really interesting read. Written by the lady who made nursing a respectable career, I enjoy comparing the methods she was inspired to use vs. the way we do things in our day. Her language is very "Jane Austen-like"....and to the point. The most interesting point I learned was her belief that the quality of air we breathe is the single most important thing to making a sick person healthy and keeping healthy people healthy. Further, she says that even in the winter, we should always have a window open day and night, to keep air flow in our homes (despite the cold). Hmm. The first thing I did after I put the book down was ran and opened all my windows....rain schmrain... ...more

3

Jun 09, 2011

Admittedly, I probably find this book a bit more fascinating than the average person as I am nurse, yet it is an interesting snapshot of the medical practices of Flo's time. Of course, much of what Ms. Nightingale wrote about is completely irrelevant or incorrect by today's standards. However, her focus was on caring for the entire well-being of her patients. Modern nursing not only owes much to Nightingale's work, but would do well to better implement some of her words into practice today.

5

Aug 31, 2012

I read this book because I am a new nursing student. It was very interesting to learn many of today's nursing procedures started with Florence Nightingale. She truly was/is the foundation of nursing. Simple things like clean beds and clean clothes, opening windows and airing out the room, basic commonsense with regards to food and nutrition and amazingly enough, even sunlight plays a role in healing. Very good read.

1

Oct 01, 2009

Yeah I get it: ventilate the room, wash your hands, change the patient's sheets, keep the chamber pot empty....

There is no doubht that nursing would not be what it is today with out Florence Nightingale, but this book was so preachy and nagging. I will definately save it as a citation source for later work, but not something you want to read again or ever.

5

Mar 24, 2011

Every nurse should read this to remind us where nursing has been, how far we've come and what has not changed at all! Florence Nightingale had incredible foresight not only in nursing but in public health.

3

Aug 04, 2012

Interesting for two separate reasons...the things that were so dated and so wrong (like women are innately better caregivers) AND for the things that were so dated and so right (fresh air, cleanliness, etc.)

5

May 17, 2013

"It seems a commonly received idea among men and even among women themselves that it requires nothing but a disappointment in love, the want of an object, a general disgust, or incapacity for other things, to turn a woman into a good nurse."

An excellent, seminal book on nursing. Surprising how many things were still applicable to the modern nursing student, although many of the basics of nursing have not changed over the years. I'm proud to add it to my book collection; I only wish other "It seems a commonly received idea among men and even among women themselves that it requires nothing but a disappointment in love, the want of an object, a general disgust, or incapacity for other things, to turn a woman into a good nurse."

An excellent, seminal book on nursing. Surprising how many things were still applicable to the modern nursing student, although many of the basics of nursing have not changed over the years. I'm proud to add it to my book collection; I only wish other classics of nursing theory were as easily accessible (or readily available) as Nightingale's. ...more

5

Jul 21, 2012

Holiday Read #2: My Busman's Holiday

Is this when you know you've found your vocation? When, even though you're on holiday, you actually choose to read a book about it, like, for fun? Or was I just thanking the stars and heavens above that I'm not training to become a bus driver (see previous review)?

Whatever the reason, this was a joy and a delight to read. The word 'pioneer' is so often farted in Florence Nightingale's direction that it's hard to take it seriously. And, yes, I'm sure there were Holiday Read #2: My Busman's Holiday

Is this when you know you've found your vocation? When, even though you're on holiday, you actually choose to read a book about it, like, for fun? Or was I just thanking the stars and heavens above that I'm not training to become a bus driver (see previous review)?

Whatever the reason, this was a joy and a delight to read. The word 'pioneer' is so often farted in Florence Nightingale's direction that it's hard to take it seriously. And, yes, I'm sure there were hundreds of other nurses doing as good, if not better, a job than her with much less vaunting (Mary Seacole, for instance - my next port of call for nursing inspiration). But she worked her arse off, she researched, she studied, she campaigned and, most importantly, she wrote about it all, beautifully and elegantly.

Much is made of the rapid (and not wholly positive) evolution of nursing in the last twenty years but, really, most of what we are being taught is jargonised Nightingale: holistic care, damp dusting, mobility risk assessments, protected mealtimes, food and fluid charts; they're all here.

But she's funny too; her withering putdowns are far superior to anything I've heard in the wards or, for that matter, in the lecture theatre (although the journal articles written by my academic crush have a distinctly Florencean feel. Gush, gush...).
A great deal too much against tea is said by wise people, and a great deal too much of tea is given to the sick by foolish people. ...more

4

May 06, 2014

flew through the book as that is all I can do with free time readings.The focus of her notes are on what she calls "sanitary nursing, " the maintenance of a healthy ennvironment" so as to promote the reparative process of the body, a process which, interestingly enough, she labels "disease." (healthy environemnt= clean air, light, appropriate conversation within scope of practice, etc..) Course, some of what is said would today be considered outdated and much of what I read elicited a " well, flew through the book as that is all I can do with free time readings.The focus of her notes are on what she calls "sanitary nursing, " the maintenance of a healthy ennvironment" so as to promote the reparative process of the body, a process which, interestingly enough, she labels "disease." (healthy environemnt= clean air, light, appropriate conversation within scope of practice, etc..) Course, some of what is said would today be considered outdated and much of what I read elicited a " well, yeah, obviously," seeing as her "notes" are "common sense" for those of us in the twenty first century. common sense, however, as ive come to find out, is quite often culturally determined and her "notes" while prosaic in our time were revolutionary in hers. we must keep this in mind if we're to appreciate her work.

Nightingale is essentially the mother of modern nursing as we more or less know it. She systematized and got the ball rollin' on making it a knowledge- theory based discipline. Prior to then " nursing" was essentially what women were expected to do within the home or wherever, utilizing whatever folky medicinal and motherly skills that may have been traditioned to them. From what I gather, nursing in her era was what the women did, not the men, and was and extension of seemed to be a "common sense" role within the familial / social unit. I'd like to explore this a little more with time, paritucularly the sociological/ theolgical transitions movements that have led to the increasing occurance of the male-nurse. ...more

4

May 09, 2008

"I would earnestly ask my sisters to keep clear of both the jargons now current everywhere (for they are equally jargons); of the jargon, namely, about the "rights" of women, which urges women to do all that men do, including the medical and other professions, merely because men do it, and without regard to whether this is the best that women can do; and of the jargon which urges women to do nothing that men do, merely because they are women, and should be "recalled to a sense of their duty as "I would earnestly ask my sisters to keep clear of both the jargons now current everywhere (for they are equally jargons); of the jargon, namely, about the "rights" of women, which urges women to do all that men do, including the medical and other professions, merely because men do it, and without regard to whether this is the best that women can do; and of the jargon which urges women to do nothing that men do, merely because they are women, and should be "recalled to a sense of their duty as women," and because "this is women's work," and "that is men's," and "these are things which women should not do," which is all assertion, and nothing more. Surely woman should bring the best she has, whatever that is, to the work of God's world, without attending to either of these cries. For what are they, both of them, the one just as much as the other, but listening to the "what people will say," to opinion, to the "voices from without?" And as a wise man has said, no one has ever done anything great or useful by listening to the voices from without.
You do not want the effect of your good things to be, "How wonderful for a woman!" nor would you be deterred from good things by hearing it said, "Yes, but she ought not to have done this, because it is not suitable for a woman." But you want to do the thing that is good, whether it is "suitable for a woman" or not.
It does not make a thing good, that it is remarkable that a woman should have been able to do it. Neither does it make a thing bad, which would have been good had a man done it, that it has been done by a woman.
Oh, leave these jargons, and go your way straight to God's work, in simplicity and singleness of heart."

~Florence Nightingale
...more

2

Oct 23, 2017

Florence Nightingale’s tips on the many varied aspects of nursing. Not, as she explicitly states repeatedly throughout the book, a guide to be used for training a hospital nurse, but a guide for the private nurse. The nurse, either paid or voluntary, who is called upon to look after a patient—a mother nursing a sick child, a relative called upon to look after an invalid, or a private nurse hired to take care of a patient in a private home. Nightingale points out that while the intention may be Florence Nightingale’s tips on the many varied aspects of nursing. Not, as she explicitly states repeatedly throughout the book, a guide to be used for training a hospital nurse, but a guide for the private nurse. The nurse, either paid or voluntary, who is called upon to look after a patient—a mother nursing a sick child, a relative called upon to look after an invalid, or a private nurse hired to take care of a patient in a private home. Nightingale points out that while the intention may be good, in most cases, this form of nursing is sadly lacking in even the very basics that most hospitals have as part of routine systems.

As part of this, she covers everything from ensuring fresh air and ventilation; the importance of cleanliness in food, air, and water (going even into great detail about what type of chamber pots to use, how to clean them, and so on); food for patients; what signs to look out for in patients that could indicate their state of health (or not). She even touches on topics such as reading to patients (with tips on speed, topic, even with recommendations); visitors to a patient; the importance of a window with a view on the outside world; what bedding is best for the sick, and how the bedding—as well as the bedstead—should be handled, aired and cleaned.

What makes this book interesting is that it offers insights into both the world of late 19th century health and sanitation (that dreaded deadly ‘night air’!) as well as into Florence Nightingale’s own mind and psyche. While much of what she says is obviously horrifically outdated—even the layman now knows differently and more scientifically perhaps on what was back then even unknown to medical science—what stands out vividly is Ms Nightingale’s no-nonsense attitude, so at odds with prevailing norms for how women should think and behave. For instance: Let no one ever depend upon fumigations, "disinfectants," and the like, for purifying the air. The offensive thing, not its smell, must be removed. A celebrated medical lecturer began one day, "Fumigations, gentlemen, are of essential importance. They make such an abominable smell that they compel you to open the window." I wish all the disinfecting fluids invented made such an "abominable smell" that they forced you to admit fresh air. That would be a useful invention.

Recommended if you want a glimpse into either Ms Nightingale or the times she lived in. Or, of course, if you’re a nurse or interested in medical professions, especially their history. ...more

4

Oct 06, 2017

Florence Nightingale grabs the reader from the first page in this book when she says these notes on nursing:
'are meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others. Every woman, or at least almost every woman, in England has, at one time or another of her life, charge of the personal health of somebody, whether child or invalid, -- in other words, every woman is a nurse.'

True dat. It's amazing how well these 'Notes on Nursing' hold up - I don't find Florence Nightingale grabs the reader from the first page in this book when she says these notes on nursing:
'are meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others. Every woman, or at least almost every woman, in England has, at one time or another of her life, charge of the personal health of somebody, whether child or invalid, -- in other words, every woman is a nurse.'

True dat. It's amazing how well these 'Notes on Nursing' hold up - I don't find them much dated. There is timeless advice in here about how to make the experience of being an invalid as pleasant as possible. One of my friends pointed out that Florence was not only writing this book as a nurse but as an invalid of some experience. She lived as an invalid for close to fifty years after coming back from Constantinople to England.

I paired this book with Catherine Reef's new, well-researched and highly readable, biography of 'Florence Nightingale' to learn more about the lady who was the first woman in Britain to be given the Order of Merit, a special award of which there are only 24 living recipients at a time. Florence deserves her legend and the details of it deserve to be more widely known. ...more

5

Sep 14, 2019

What a fascinating and scintillating read. Florence Nightingale writes as if she is speaking to you personally. So, taken only from her own writing, my impression of this inspirational woman is as follows: she was tart, intelligent, interesting, kind and thoughtful along with a sharp wit and humour that made me chuckle as it was not hard to deduce from her words that she did not suffer fools gladly. There was still much to be gleaned from her book written as it was in 1860, and although it What a fascinating and scintillating read. Florence Nightingale writes as if she is speaking to you personally. So, taken only from her own writing, my impression of this inspirational woman is as follows: she was tart, intelligent, interesting, kind and thoughtful along with a sharp wit and humour that made me chuckle as it was not hard to deduce from her words that she did not suffer fools gladly. There was still much to be gleaned from her book written as it was in 1860, and although it cannot be denied much of the information is outdated, there are also many common sense remedies and advice that is still relevant today. Her ideas on cleanliness and hygiene in particular, certainly make one think and cringe simultaneously. I thoroughly enjoyed this incredible and brief insight into life in this particular time period. Indeed, this remarkable woman who was the founder of modern nursing still has a lot to teach the modern world. I highly recommend this book. ...more

3

Sep 28, 2017

It was an interesting read. Obviously, the medical theory is not current in many, many places but from a historical perspective, you can see how revolutionary some of this thinking was.
The wording is fussy and unclear in places, but still an interesting read.

3

Jul 05, 2014

Does what it says on the tin, tells you the fundamentals of effective nursing. Somewhat dated at point, but surprisingly timeless.

2

Mar 22, 2017

I can agree with Flo on a lot of points. Feed your patients. Keep their rooms clean and uncluttered. Try to provide them adequate rest. I feel like she would be that judgy, I-am-super-nurse type nowadays! I can just see her shaking her head at some of the obstacles to giving good nursing care these days, some created by the very structure of the hospital. According to Nightingale, I fall short of being a good nurse for things that I sometimes cannot control. Ouch.

5

Dec 28, 2018

A historical read full of nurse logic pioneered by Florence. She was ahead of her time and set the bar. If you haven't read this, don't miss it.

4

Jul 27, 2019

I was surprised about how much I enjoyed this book. She was such a pioneer for the nursing profession.

3

May 04, 2019

Part of the Mouse Book Club. Really remarkable how far ahead of her time she was with these thoughts.

5

Mar 07, 2017

Read for the library book café's 'women who changed the world' theme... and also for a trip down Memory Lane, as I read and used Nightingale as an undergraduate nurse many years ago. I found her refreshing then, but reading this book now even more impressed.

Yes, the tone is openly didactic and there are dated elements but far fewer than might be supposed, and some are perhaps merely translated: for example, she asserts (very briefly) that a good nurse is religious, when we now require an Read for the library book café's 'women who changed the world' theme... and also for a trip down Memory Lane, as I read and used Nightingale as an undergraduate nurse many years ago. I found her refreshing then, but reading this book now even more impressed.

Yes, the tone is openly didactic and there are dated elements but far fewer than might be supposed, and some are perhaps merely translated: for example, she asserts (very briefly) that a good nurse is religious, when we now require an espousal of NHS values in recruitment. Perhaps our ever increasing uncomfortable awareness that there are limits to antibiotics in particular, and the importance of environmental factors in ill health and recovery leads us to look once more to the fundamentals she insists upon.

She is very practical but that does not mean she pays no attention to psychology - only that she is not constantly on the lookout for ways to blame the patient or explain away the patient's experience. She is all about not getting in nature's way. ...more

2

Jun 23, 2013

Sad to say that I didn't actually finish this book (I gave up around halfway through it), but I gave up for a very good reason. It's not a terribly informative book, nor is it a particularly riveting read.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse in the 1800s, not a doctor in the 21st century. Medicine has dramatically changed in the last 200 years. Not a single reference to bacteria or viruses was made (and I checked on the Kindle's search function), nor was any reason given as to why hygiene was Sad to say that I didn't actually finish this book (I gave up around halfway through it), but I gave up for a very good reason. It's not a terribly informative book, nor is it a particularly riveting read.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse in the 1800s, not a doctor in the 21st century. Medicine has dramatically changed in the last 200 years. Not a single reference to bacteria or viruses was made (and I checked on the Kindle's search function), nor was any reason given as to why hygiene was important.

It's definitely useless if you're training as a nurse and want to know more about health and disease, as Florence Nightingale had practically no medical knowledge whatsoever. Her points weren't reasoned by rigorous clinical trials or any scientific studies.

But I still give this book 3 stars because it is interesting to me from two perspectives: from a historical perspective and from the perspective of someone who wants to work in healthcare and understand what it is like to care for patients.

From a historical point of view, it is interesting to see how Nightingale writes from the era when pathogens were not widely known and so she writes from the perspective of the miasma theory of disease. Her writing is so clearly affected by this, giving many useless tips to do with ventilation and warming and lighting and even giving instructions on how to build a house so that it is a "healthy" house. Nevertheless, she does make an excellent observation that efficient drainage and cleanliness is important in "securing the health of houses."

However, what I find most interesting is that although she writes from a naive background, she still has her patients at her heart. The crux of the matter is that there is a patient who is ill and needs to get better, and she never fails to return to this point, which clearly shows the beginnings of patient-centred care.

She also discusses how patients should be exposed to "varieties" and their "fancies," i.e. things like bright flowers and colourful objects. Whilst this is not something in conventional medicine, she makes a startlingly interesting observation - that patients often get better with some stimulus. This clearly links to the placebo effect and the links between the mind and the body and how stimulation of the somatosensory cortices in the brain can lead to a healing effect. Of course this is more useful in palliation of symptoms, alleviating the progression of a disease by decreasing mental problems such as depression by applying "varieties."

Her sheer love for her patients is what makes this book worth reading for those interested in the historical background behind nursing. ...more

2

Jan 28, 2016

Wow. I now have a different perspective on nursing from the words of the most famous nurse in Victorian England. I have come to believe that nurses back in that period were more similar to CNAs rather than the RNs we see in healthcare settings today. Medical training for nurses was nominal, even considered unnecessary, according to Flo herself.

Written 5 years after the 40 Broad Street cholera epidemic in London, I was shocked that Nightingale rejected the germ theory (in cholera's case, Wow. I now have a different perspective on nursing from the words of the most famous nurse in Victorian England. I have come to believe that nurses back in that period were more similar to CNAs rather than the RNs we see in healthcare settings today. Medical training for nurses was nominal, even considered unnecessary, according to Flo herself.

Written 5 years after the 40 Broad Street cholera epidemic in London, I was shocked that Nightingale rejected the germ theory (in cholera's case, oral-fecal transmission) of communicable diseases which slowly and reluctantly came to be accepted as fact by most bureaucrats and the medical community. Yet Nightingale still believed that diseases spontaneously arose from bad environments and even said scarlet fever is caused by musty, stale rooms. Ouch! Why were you unable to shift your paradigm, Flo? Why? Why did you remain a Miasmist?

Flo discusses some modern concepts such as the mind-body connection, color therapy and plant therapy - although she doesn't spend long on these topics. She does warn the reader that this book is not a nursing manual. Hopefully nurses in her time who read this book took it seriously. On a positive note, Flo stressed the importance of nurses washing their hands frequently with soap and also asserted the importance of keeping both the patient and his bedding as clean as possible for better health. Nightingale also heavily emphasized the importance of quality patient observation by a nurse and clear communication about patient status to medical providers so that the best plan of treatment may be formulated.

I have to comment that I was amused about her stern disapproval of nurses wearing fashionable poofy skirts. Not only was the rustling distracting and a detriment of patient health, but crinoline skirts could catch on fire and burn the nurse (and patient) to death, which apparently happened more than you think. Pip pip for modern scrubs!!

The antiquated and incorrect medical science and theories of patient care (noise kills) made me feel uncomfortable. I had to keep reminding myself the book was written in 1859.

It was interesting to read primary source material but I don't think I will re-read this book again. ...more