From Florence Nightingale we learned the importance of sanitization. In her practice as a nurse in the Crimean War, she believed that contamination of dirt was the cause of disease. With this in the back of her head, she scrubbed down the military barracks and hospitals, leading to a dramatic decrease in the number deaths. Knowing the value of statistics and documentation, Nightingale wrote down all results of her care. This lead to what was to be known as evidence-based practice
In current nursing practice, we know we must have a clean workspace and environment in order to keep our patients from getting sicker, and avoiding the risk of infection. In addition, many of the skills performed or instruments used, all came from evidence-based practice. Many of nursing knowledge comes from that as well.
Florence Nightingale, one of the first nursing theorists, created the Environmental Theory. This theory as 13 canons:
1. Health of houses 8. cleanliness of rooms and walls
2. ventilation and warming 9. Personal cleanliness
3. Light 10. Taking food
4. Noise 11. What food
5. Variety 12. Observation of the sick
6. Bed and bedding 13. Chattering hopes and advices
7. Petty management
Her idea with this theory was that if nurses modify their patients' according to these canons, they will be able to help the patient by restoring their health and moving them on to recovery
In our practice, we make it of upmost importance to make our patients comfortable while they are in the hospital and keep their health from declining. We make it a point to limit noises, light, people interaction, and cluster care in order to keep our patients relaxed as much as possible. We also make sure our patient is following their tolerated diet, and of course observe for any changes in their health.
It has been noted that Florence Nightingale was also known to promote patient self-care, assessment, therapeutic communication, and involve herself in spiritual nursing.
She would promote patient self care by trying to get them do to things on their own to gain independence, she would go around at night shining her light (hence the name "The Lady with the Lamp") assessing the condition of and checking on her patients, she talked to and emphasized with her patients who were feeling lost and despaired, and she exemplified spiritual nursing as she ministered to her dying patients, giving them comfort.
When it comes to taking care of patients, we as nurses try to care for them as much as possible, but we also try to get the patients to be independent. We, as Nightingale did, promote patient self-care by trying to get them to complete certain tasks on their own (like bathing) as much as they can tolerate. The goal with this is to promote independence, healing, and strength. One of our primary tasks as a nurse is to assess. We assess our patients from beginning to end, and from head to toe. Assessment is the core of nursing. It is also of great importance that we talk to our patients with therapeutic communication. Not only does it comfort our patients, but it shows that we care and emphasize with them as well. Lastly, many of the patients we encounter practice spirituality. When we incorporate spirituality into our care, we exhibit holistic nursing which has been shown to be beneficial to the healing of patients.
