Essay on Florence Nightingale

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On Florence Nightingale and Subjectivity. The author seems to believe that Florence Nightingale’s Christianity is what compelled her to work towards better healthcare for the English people. Although it probably was a large factor in what she wanted to change about health care the author seems to believe it was the only important factor. Even the quotes the author chose to use in the book involved Nightingale talking about her religious beliefs and how she was called to do her duty by for God. Nightingale thought that the changes that had already been made where only due to Christianity, according to the way the author tells her story. The author specifically says Apart from Nightingale’s own experience of a ‘‘call,’’ she recognized the historic role of Christianity in providing care to the sick of all kinds (McDonald, 2004). Then she goes on to talk about how Nightingale thought that Christians’ had brought in all the caring and that the hospital was a fruit born of Christianity. I think my biggest subjective challenge to conquer will be how much I want my students to love to read and to do it well. Already I have experienced a little of this when dealing with my little sister. She is not as avid of a reader as the other members of my family as even the baby, being only two, loves to have books read to him while she does not want to do reading for school or otherwise. I think I would try to urge those who do not enjoy reading to read more which may actually do the opposite. I probably will also favor readers above nonreaders as I will be able to understand where they are coming from better. Looking at how my sister does in reading at first thought she was way below the level she should be at for reading. Then I realized she wasn’t that far below her age level as a nine year old. As she is homeschooled my mother pushed her a grade level ahead of where she should

be. Her main problem is reading comprehension which I think will probably also be my biggest problem in my classroom. Having worked with her on a few occasions when my mother was unable to I have realized that half of her problem is she has trouble figuring out what a word is and mispronounces a few words to the point where they are not recognizable. I think her reading level is still at fourth grade while her math skills are definitely ahead of par. I have offered to read books to her to let her enjoy the stories and not have to worry about how well she reads them but she is not interested in that, unfortunately I think this is partly due to the fact that my mom didn’t read to her as often as a child as she did when my older sister and I where little, however we are all reading to my brother who seems to want us to read more to him then we want to. I think that though I am subjective on reading and will want all my students to be great readers I can at least use my weakness as a strength and teach the children to love to read even if it’s just a book every once and a while instead of magazines or blogs being all they read that they aren’t forced too. Accomplishing this will be hard but I believe that reading fun stories out loud to an elementary class will help them learn to love reading. This is actually part of the reason I want to either teach an elementary class or work as a children’s librarian so that I can pass on my love of reading to other children and help those whose parents are too busy to read to them often. I believe reading to a child helps them develop in ways that have not been studied fully at this time, which is why that will be an important part of my teaching style although I’m not sure how I will be able to incorporate it into the curriculum. Most schools encourage the children to read but I might end up taking it further than that as I tend to feel reading is one of the keys to learning. This can be either a weakness or a strength and may very well be useful in the end but I

believe it will be a hindrance when I’m starting out as I will not have a plan in place to encourage reading while not pushing the students to hard. Like the author’s belief in Nightingale’s Christian views influencing her to do good by wanting to heal others my views on reading make me want to help others to learn. As Nightingale taught nurses to heal I plan to teach children to love reading and learning. Though I will not be able to do this with every child I will do my best with what I have and work with the curriculum to my fullest potential and help every child I can. McDonald, Lynn. Florence Nightingale on Public Health Care. Waterloo, ON, CAN: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2004. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/westerngovernors/Doc?id=10135303

The young Nightingale was allowed to visit workhouses and hospitals when she was not allowed to nurse in them. She was deeply troubled by what she saw, but recognized that nothing she could do would materially help. When, years later, trained nursing was about to be introduced into the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary, she wrote her friend Mary Clare Moore (1817-74), mother superior of the Convent of Mercy, Bermondsey: I have always felt workhouse patients were the most neglected of the human race, far more so than in hospitals. And I am so glad to make even this beginning.... I hope London workhouses will follow, and Manchester. I remember years and years ago, when I used to visit at Marylebone Workhouse, feeling how hopeless those depths of misery were to comfort, and that visiting did nothing but break the visitor’s heart. (Theology 3:285) Apart from Nightingale’s own experience of a ‘‘call,’’ she recognized the historic role of Christianity in providing care to the sick of all kinds. She considered the ancient Romans superior to later peoples in some respects, notably courage, but told nurses: Of mercy to the sick and weak in mind and body, miserable and suffering, the idiots and insane, the old Romans knew nothing. That was apparently brought in by Christ; mercy, care and kindness to the idiot, the leper, is the truest Christianity. The Christian is a nurse; the hospital, the asylum, is a true present of Christianity. The hospital is a true, a unique, fruit of Christianity: hospitals and asylums. Nightingale then quoted from Mary’s prayer at her visit with the mother of John the Baptist: ‘‘My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.’’ She

frequently cited ‘‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord,’’ Mary’s prayer at the annunciation, with regard to her own call.

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