Florence Nightingale Book Summary - Florence Nightingale Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Florence Nightingale summary

Name: Florence Nightingale
Rating: 4.7 (78 reviews)
Author: Cecil Woodham-Smith

Cecil Woodham-Smith

1820–1910

4.7 (78 ratings)

29 mins

Topics

Women's Stories Wars Biographies

Table of Contents

Florence Nightingale
Summary of 9 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 9

What’s in it for me? Discover the fascinating story of a woman who answered a call from God and changed history forever.

You’ve probably heard of Florence Nightingale. She was, after all, one of the most famous figures of the Victorian era. You might even know that she was a nurse. But what exactly made this woman so remarkable?

Briefly put, Florence Nightingale was devoutly committed to lessening the suffering of others. This was the single goal that guided her life, and she pursued it tirelessly, selflessly, and tenaciously until the day she died.

Over the course of her life, she not only nursed countless patients back to health. She revolutionized the entire field of nursing, giving a good name to what had previously been a disreputable profession and inspiring generations of nurses to come.

These blinks tell her story.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what conditions were like on nineteenth-century battlefields;
how nurses were regarded in Victorian England; and
why Florence Nightingale is credited as an innovator in the field of statistics.

The Voice of God

When Florence Nightingale was a little girl, her parents failed to find a suitable governess. Her father, William Edward Nightingale – or W. E. N., as everyone called him – had extremely high intellectual standards that no governess could meet. And her mother, Fanny, expected refinement, elegance, and good breeding – expectations that no governess could live up to.

In the end, Florence and her older sister, Parthe, were taught by their father, who devised a strict curriculum that included history, mathematics, and philosophy, not to mention Greek, Latin, German, French, and Italian. W. E. N. may have had an exacting nature, but he was devoted to his daughters. He loved them deeply.

Thanks to his father’s mining interests, W. E. N. was a wealthy man. He owned an estate in Hampshire, in England’s southeast, and a summer home in the East Midlands. Because of his status, he became involved in local politics. He even ran for parliament, though he wasn’t elected.

Given their social standing, the Nightingale daughters were fixtures at many parties thrown by family and friends. By all accounts, they were both exceedingly charming. But this wasn’t necessarily a good thing – at least, not as far as Florence was concerned.

When she was 16 years old, Florence had a profound, life-changing experience. On February 7, 1837, she heard the voice of God. It called her to work in His service. At first, she didn’t know exactly what this meant. What was she to do? Well, for one thing, she felt she should probably stop attending parties. This was a difficult decision; after all, she enjoyed the parties, especially the attention she received.

But Florence knew she was destined for greater things. She also knew that she’d have to be strict with herself if she were to achieve this higher goal. That would mean avoiding frivolous pleasures, like parties. And it would mean avoiding marriage.

This didn’t sit well with either her mother or her sister. Nor was it easy for Florence. In fact, she agonized over her decision for nearly a decade. Over the next ten years, Florence would meet plenty of suitors. Some of them even proposed marriage. She turned them all down. It drove Fanny absolutely mad, and Parthe suffered as well. She was only a year older than Florence, and she didn’t understand what her sister was trying to do with her life. This drama continued for years: courtship, denial, familial despair; courtship, denial, familial despair. And it didn’t get any better once Florence finally understood the true nature of her calling.

Vocation Found

More than anything, Florence wanted to be worthy of God – at least worthy enough that He would reveal how she could possibly be of service to Him. More and more, she saw her fondness for beautiful clothes and socializing as temptations to be avoided. And Parthe increasingly felt as though she were losing a sister.

Finally, when Florence was in her early twenties, the answer she’d been longing for began to reveal itself. One of the first pieces of this puzzle came from Baron von Bunsen, a family friend who’d recently been appointed ambassador of Prussia. Florence sought his advice because she wanted to alleviate suffering. She wanted to assist the “helpless and miserable.” Bunsen told her about a place called Kaiserswerth. Located in Germany along the Rhine, Kaiserswerth was a long-standing institution that helped orphaned children and trained women to nurse the sick and poor.

Study and Stagnation

Fortunately, Florence had sympathetic family and friends who could see how passionate and dedicated she was. Lord Ashley, who would later become the famous social reformer Lord Shaftesbury, was one such friend. In 1846, he recommended that Florence at least read about hospitals and public health, even if she couldn’t care for the sick herself.

It was thus that Florence Nightingale became an expert in hospital care before her career even started. She devoured all the written material on public health that she could find. She got into the habit of waking up before sunrise and filling numerous notebooks with facts, data, and detailed information. She compared numbers, and tabulated and indexed findings. Ravenous for information, she wrote to officials in France, Germany, and Italy to get more data on public health in those countries. She was on her way to becoming one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject of public health in all of Europe – all without her family knowing a thing about it.

A Real Career

Something had to give. The year 1849 was particularly dreadful for Florence. She felt her life slipping away from her, and she regularly prayed to God for mercy. Meanwhile, the distance between her and Parthe was growing ever wider, and her resentment toward her mother was deepening.

Finally, another family friend, Selina Bracebridge, felt the need to step in. At the start of 1850, the Bracebridges were planning a trip to Egypt, and they were able to convince Fanny to let Florence come along. And at the end of the trip, Selina chose a route home that happened to take Florence through Germany – and to the Kaiserswerth Institute.

Work, War, and Opportunity

By the start of 1854, Florence Nightingale was finally in her element. She’d visited hospitals in Ireland, trained with the Sisters of Charity in Paris, and was now fully engaged with the reorganization of the Institution for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen, which was proving to be a challenge on many fronts. An inept committee dealt with the Institution’s finances, and was at odds with the administration of the place. Nightingale found herself square in the middle of battles such as requests from the committee that the Institution not accept Catholic patients. But, to the surprise of perhaps everyone there, Nightingale was more than up to the task of managing whatever situation presented itself.

Over the second half of 1853, she not only organized the facility’s staff; she straightened out the accounts and got supplies in order. She was ecstatic. Of course, she wasn’t happy to focus on the Institution alone. At the start of 1854, she began visiting hospitals, taking notes on the conditions there, especially as they related to nurses, and passing this information along to Sidney Herbert. Through Herbert, the prospect of hospital reform seemed a possibility. He was genuinely interested in taking Nightingale's ideas and pushing them forward, making hospitals better and safer places to work.

A Horrid Situation

Florence Nightingale agreed to Sidney Herbert’s request. She was keenly aware of the attention her presence in Crimea would draw, and, if she were successful, the progress it could mean in changing public perceptions regarding the field of nursing. She was officially designated Superintendent of the Female Nursing Establishment of the English General Hospitals in Turkey. No other British woman had received such a distinction before.

It was agreed that Nightingale’s party would comprise 40 nurses. Herbert was hoping for more, but Nightingale knew that finding even 40 women who were capable and fit for the task would be a remarkable accomplishment. She also felt that it would be impossible to supervise more than 40 effectively. What’s more, these women had to be found fast! Ultimately, after interviews were conducted and other charitable organizations contacted, only 38 suitable women were found. With their uniforms in order, the women set sail on October 21, 1854. Their destination was Scutari, located across from Constantinople, on the other side of the Bosphorus strait. There, a Turkish army barracks had been converted into a hospital. They arrived in early November, and discovered that the situation was much worse than they’d imagined.

The Worth of Nurses

Nightingale and her fellow nurses sat by patiently while waiting for a chance to win over the army doctors. In the meantime, she got her nurses mending old linen and itemizing what few supplies they could find. Nightingale herself was able to make some progress in the kitchen. On the way over, she’d made some purchases in Constantinople with her own money. This included portable stoves, arrowroot, wine, and beef essences. On their third day at Scutari, they were able to get the doctor’s approval to make a dish for the soldiers: hot arrowroot and port wine. For months to come, this would be some of the only food served at Scutari.

Then, on November 9, 1854, the situation reached a new extreme. After a brutal fight in the key battleground of Sebastopol, the sick and wounded came flooding down to Scutari. Finally, the nurses were given orders to help with the patients. Now was their chance to prove their worth and make the first steps toward changing history.

The Lady with the Lamp

Even in the face of adversity, Florence Nightingale managed to continue improving the conditions in Britain’s army hospitals. Her suggestions on the types of supplies and furniture needed, and on everything from locked cabinets to sanitary conditions, were eventually heeded. She taught the officers that soldiers should not be treated as “drunken brutes.” She advocated providing patients with reading and game rooms. This would help them drink less – and heal more quickly.

While Nightingale was tough and uncompromising in her ideals, survivors of the war would never forget the tender care that she and her nurses provided. According to wartime tales, the soldiers even took comfort in her shadow, which would fall upon their pillows as Nightingale, lantern in hand, made her nighttime rounds. She worked endlessly during these years. In fact, she rarely slept at all. When she wasn’t tending to patients, she was recording every detail and sending out countless letters and reports.

An Honored Life, A Humble Death

As it turned out, Florence Nightingale retained a considerable amount of power after her return from Crimea. Queen Victoria was entirely impressed with her when the two finally met face to face. Nightingale had the rare ability to be captivating and persuasive without seeming immodest. After speaking to Nightingale, the queen felt compelled to launch a Royal Commission to investigate the circumstances that caused the many casualties of the Crimean War.

Eventually, Nightingale became deeply involved in improving conditions for soldiers in India as well. But she was never going to limit her attention to the military. She was a major force driving hospital and sanitation reform in general. She even founded her own school to train nurses. And she did it all without making a single public appearance.

Want to see all full key ideas from Florence Nightingale?

Key ideas in Florence Nightingale

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Florence Nightingale about?

Florence Nightingale (1951) tells the legendary story of the “Lady with the Lamp,” the famed nurse who arrived to soothe the souls of those wounded in the Crimean War. It chronicles her journey to the conflict’s horrific medical barracks, and how she used her experiences to forever change the way hospitals are run and how the sick are treated.

Best quote from Florence Nightingale

To reach the Barrack Hospital meant martyrdom for wounded men.

—Cecil Woodham-Smith

Who should read Florence Nightingale?

People interested in amazing life stories
Those curious about life and hardships during Victorian times
History buffs

About the Author

Cecil Woodham-Smith was a distinguished and award-winning author of historical books concerning the Victorian era. After spending nine years meticulously researching and writing her first book, on Florence Nightingale, she went on to publish books about the Great Irish Famine and the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.

Categories with Florence Nightingale

History Biography & Memoir

Books like Florence Nightingale

Bedtime Biography: Florence Nightingale

A Southern Gothic Tale on Death, Resistance to Change and Isolation

A Coming-of-Age Novel about True Love and Finding One's Place in Life

A Brief History of Humankind

28 min

4.4

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

John Perkins

An insider's account of imperialism in the modern age

26 min

4.4

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

One Man’s Obsession With Beauty and Youth, and His Downfall

Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

The New Psychology of Success

15 min

4.5

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Herman Melville

A Story of Wall-Street

20 min

4.3

Happy Mind, Happy Life

Rangan Chatterjee

The New Science of Mental Well-Being

One Boy’s Desire for Reinvention to Climb the Social Ladder

How to Make Tomorrow Better Today

The Complete Investor

12 min

4.3

Gaslighting

Stephanie Moulton Sarkis

Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People - and Break Free

The True Teachings of Bruce Lee

18 min

4.5

5 Voices

Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram

How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead

The Global Refugee Crisis and What to Do About It

Timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy

33 min

4.6

Never Split the Difference (New Version)

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

19 min

4.5

Bedtime Biography: Vindication

Lyndall Gordon

A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft

My Remarkable Life in Show Business

Liberty and Equality as an Alternative to Utilitarianism

8 min

4.3

Love Your Life, Not Theirs

Rachel Cruze

7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want

15 min

4.4

Full Catastrophe Living

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks

How to Fail Fast and Be Resilient at Work

Western Conceptions of the Orient

19 min

4.0

NFTs Are a Scam / NFTs are the Future

Bobby Hundreds

The Early Years: 2020-2023

The Science of Conversation

A Critique of Political Economy

Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent

The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

The Case for Rational Compassion

Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness

Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Sleep Well Every Night

20 min

4.5

I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Ramit Sethi

The easy approach to smart banking, saving, spending and investing

The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

25 min

4.5

Bedtime Biography: Yes I Can

Sammy Davis

The Story of Sammy Davis Jr.

36 min

4.8

The Communist Manifesto

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Workers of the world unite!

15 min

4.2

Listen Like You Mean It

Ximena Vengoechea

Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection

24 min

4.4

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

John Gray

A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships

20 min

4.5

Crucial Conversations

Kerry Patterson

Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

How Napoleon Conquered Europe and Changed the World

34 min

4.6

Nonviolent Communication

Marshall B. Rosenberg

American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order

Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society

A Political Satire on the Corrupting Influence of Power

31 min

4.8

The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money

John Maynard Keynes

The “Keynesian Revolution”—the Masterpiece That Changed Economics

15 min

3.6

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.