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With the price that the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting Malaysia, it is not surprising that people recognize how important health workers are to the country.
While physicians play an imperative role in treating illnesses, nurses and the care they provide to patients are just as important.
International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 12, and what better way to observe it than to learn the story of history’s most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.
Born on May 12, 1820, Nightingale received her name from her birthplace, the Italian city of Florence. She was the youngest girl in her family, with two older sisters.
Her father, a cultured landowner, recognized her intelligence and gave her an extensive education in history, language, and philosophy.
The Nightingale family had a philanthropic streak and used their money to care for the sick.
At that time, most sick people were treated in their homes, and hospitals were mainly reserved for the wealthy.
These hospitals were also operated by nursing personnel who did not receive adequate medical training.
Sometimes visiting hospitals with her parents, Nightingale was inspired to be a healer, to her parents’ horror.
The ladies of his position were not destined to exercise such “unworthy” professions, but they married other high-ranking families such as housewives and mothers.
Challenging her parents, Nightingale headed to Germany to become a deaconess, where she learned the basics of nursing.
Back then, hospitals were not sanitary, lacked adequate equipment, and death rates were morbidly high.
Nightingale eventually returned to England to work as a nurse, and one of the first steps she took in her nursery was to improve hygiene standards.
Mortality rates there improved markedly and she became the chief nurse in one year.
In 1853, the Crimean War broke out with France, Great Britain, and the Ottoman Empire fighting against Russia.
In one year, 18,000 British soldiers desperately needed medical treatment and resources were limited.
The large number of injuries also caused sanitation levels in the hospital to plummet.
With the situation out of control, the Minister of War, Sidney Herbert, asked Nightingale for help.
She, along with 34 of her nurses, traveled to the Crimea and was surprised by the appalling conditions in her hospitals.
Field hospitals were dirty and plagued by infestations and a lack of clean water.
Seriously injured patients were left to wallow in their own waste and more and more patients were admitted only to die of preventable infections.
Without a moment to lose, Nightingale began a complete cleanup of the hospitals and personally attended to the wounded soldiers.
The familiar sight of her traveling down the halls with the oil lamp in hand earned him the loving nickname “The Lady with the Lamp.”
She was also called “the Angel of the Crimea” by grateful soldiers, and almost miraculously, the death rate in field hospitals fell by 70%.
In addition to improving the condition of hospital wards, Nightingale also introduced healthy meals, clean sheets and entertainment for soldiers.
Soldiers were now able to send money home to their families thanks to Nightingale, and she also personally wrote letters informing families about the status of their loved ones on the front line.
He returned home in 1856 and spent the next two years writing about his experiences and the lessons learned while serving.
Soon, Nightingale became the center of attention as a national hero, who surprised the humble nurse.
She was even honored by Queen Victoria, who awarded her the Royal Red Cross and a financial grant.
In 1860, that aid was used by Nightingale to found the world’s first professional nursing school at St Thomas Hospital, London.
The status of nurses, once thought to be the work of maids, widows, and nuns, increased rapidly due to their contributions.
Like today’s front lines, Nightingale risked her health to care for her patients, and a fever she contracted while serving in the war followed her home.
They put her to bed several times, but she continued her work and writing anyway.
Nightingale became the source of access for people seeking to reform their health systems.
As he entered his twilight years, his eyesight and memory began to wane. On August 13, 1910, the Lady with the Lamp passed away peacefully in her sleep.
In the only existing audio recording of her voice, she is heard saying: “When I am no longer even a memory, just a name, I hope that my voice will perpetuate the great work of my life.”
On this International Nurses Day, FMT salutes Nightingale and women like her whose sacrifices and work continue to save and improve lives to this day.
