1_Florence Nightingale - Cartoon for kids - Fairy Tale - Story for Children - Stories for Kids
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This story starts out with once upon a time,
but it is not a fairy tale.
The story of Florence Nightingale is true
as she was an inspirational heroine who
was real and admired by many.
Once upon a time in 1820,
Florence Nightingale was born.
That is a really a long time ago.
And things were different in world back then.
Women were not treated the same as men
and hospitals were dirty and unsafe.
When she was 16, Florence believed God called her
into his service. She wanted to be a nurse.
However, her wealthy parents did not think highly of nurses,
and forbid her to become one.
The Nightingales like so many others during that time
thought of nurses as the lowest form of hired help.
Have your parents ever said no to something you
really wanted to do?
How did that make you feel?
Not being able to pursue her dream and God's calling
made Florence feel very sad. She wrote a letter to her cousin
" I shall never do anything and am worse than dust and nothing."
By the time she was 25, Florence felt trapped.
She was not permitted to leave her parent's huge
estate in England without their permission.
Eventually, her parents allowed her to travel
with some friends of the family.
Florence traveled to Italy, Egypt and Greece.
While in Egypt, she heard a second call from God.
God called me in the morning, Florence wrote in her diary.
And asked me, Would I do good for him?
For him alone without the reputation.
She felt God was asking her to give up fame
in exchange for service.
Of course, she would! if only her parents would agree.
On her 30th birthday, she dedicated her life to doing God's will.
Without gaining permission from her family,
the friends she was traveling with
helped her attend training at the
Kaiserswerth Institute of Deaconesses in Germany.
Returning home, Florence faced an angry family.
Even her sister was angry with her.
Eventually, however, they allowed her to return to Germany
where she studied for 3 months to be a nurse.
Unlike the rest of society.,
Florence felt nursing was not something to be
looked down upon.
She was proud to be a nurse.
But her family still saw it as something to be ashamed about.
Finally, at the urging of her friends,
her father agreed to let her follow her dream.
When Florence was 35, she managed the hospital for invalid gentlewomen.
She watched as patients died simply
because the people caring for them did not wash
their hands.
Saddened by the conditions there,
she worked to make the hospital a clean and
sanitary place with safe and healthy food for the patients.
The next year, Florence became the Superintendent
of nursing at King's College Hospital in London.
That meant she was the in charge of the nursing program.
Her dream was to open a nursing school in London
like the one she attended in Germany.
Florence wanted to train other nurses and make them
feel good about what they were doing.
She did not want other people to feel ashamed
of their jobs. However, a war broke out
and postponed her plans.
The newspaper in England reported terrible conditions
for injured and sick soldiers in the
hospitals in Crimea.
They did not have medicines, food or supplies.
Florence was asked to take a group of nurses
there to help.
She accepted the challenge and took 38 nurses with her.
When they got off the boat in Crimea,
there were many people cheering.
They admired these brave women.
Do you like to follow the activities and stories
about a celebrity?
Florence Nightingale was a celebrity.
The newspaper wrote about her every day.
This helped to bring in lots of money and goods
to help the soldiers in the hospital.
Unfortunately, the doctors still looked down on nurses.
They resented Florence but the patients loved her.
She valued and respected them and worked hard
to improve the conditions in the hospital
so they would be comfortable.
Florence set up reading rooms for the soldiers,
She also planned recreation programs.
No one else had treated them with such kindness
because like nurses, soldiers were thought of
as lower class and not important.
At night, Florence would attend to the sick and
injured soldiers, carrying a lamp from bed to bed
to check on them.
They started calling her " The lady with the lamp"
comforted by its soft glow and Florence's loving care.
When Florence returned home after the war,
she looked tired and worn.
She wanted time alone, but her parents
who were now proud of her status as a
national heroine, wanted to show her off.
There were parties, parades and other social gatherings.
Florence did not like the attention and did not
want to attend celebrations.
Her mind was fixed on the suffering and dying men
she had seen.
She preferred spending time in her home room writing.
Slowly, Florence Nightingale's ideas about nursing
as well as hospital conditions were put into practice.
People from all over the world asked for her advice.
During the American Civil war, Florence helped
both sides by sending advice and reports.
As a result, the American medical services
for the soldiers were greatly improved.
In her later years, Florence Nightingale lived a private life.
Preferring time spent alone in her bedroom.
While she did have an occasional visitor
she spent most of her days,
writing reports on nursing and medical care.
The life's work of Florence Nightingale changed people's attitudes
towards both nurses and soldiers.
They became valued citizens who
were respected and admired.
At 87 years old, Florence was the first woman
to receive the Order of Merit.
She lived to be 90, and is still remembered as one of the
most influential women in history.
Regarding her accomplishments, Florence said,
" I attribute my success to this, I never gave or took any excuse."
The next time you find yourself looking for an excuse
think of this quote from Miss Nightingale
and remember how her courage and devotion
to her dream changed the world.