She was not only a one of the first formal nurses, but also a statistician, political nurse, publisher, and social reformer. She was raised in a wealthy family in 19th century England. She was well educated and chose nursing over marriage and family regardless of her family’s opposition. She claimed she felt a calling to help humanity. She attended nursing school in Germany and then tended to British soldiers during the Crimean war.

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She was appalled to find out that the soldiers had a 41% mortality rate and believed it was due to dirt. So, she scrubbed the rooms, opened the windows for a better air flow and allow sunshine in, along with providing physical care to the soldier. She learned how to be a statistician from her father and wrote her interventions and the outcome and effect on her patients and saw that increased their survival rate immensely. This was one of the first formal evidence based practice and research in nursing.  

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Florence saw the improvements and pushed a hospital reform for the British army medical system. After, tending to soldiers she published Notes on Nursing: What it is and What it is Not in 1859 and a year later she received a government fund from Britain and founded the first training school for nurses in London. Her influence didn’t stop in London, it traveled and influenced modern nursing in the U.S. and still is to this day.