Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910) was an English nurse, statistician, and social reformer, regarded as the founder of modern nursing. She gained prominence during the Crimean War (1853 – 1856), improving hospital sanitation and reducing mortality rates. Known as "The Lady with the Lamp", she became a Victorian icon for her dedication to wounded soldiers.
Born in Florence, Italy, she was raised in England and educated by her father. Rejecting traditional roles, she pursued nursing despite family opposition. In 1854, she led a team of 38 nurses to Scutari, where she introduced hygiene reforms, reducing death rates. Her work influenced public health policies in Britain and India.
In 1860, she established the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St Thomas' Hospital, revolutionizing nursing education. She also pioneered statistical analysis in healthcare, using visual data to advocate sanitary reforms. Her book Notes on Nursing (1859) became a fundamental nursing guide.
Despite chronic illness in later years, she remained an active reformer. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross (1883) and became the first woman to receive the Order of Merit (1907). She died in 1910, leaving a lasting legacy in healthcare and nursing education.