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Florence Nightingale Museum, London

 

Florence Nightingale isn't just famous for being a nurse who looked after soldiers wounded in the Crimean War. Florence Nightingale was instrumental in actually creating nursing as a career. When Florence Nightingale became a nurse in 1845 she wasn't entering a profession as we understand it today. Nurses were usually poor women, who would often double up as cooks. Florence's decision to become a nurse infuriated her aristocratic mother, who felt such work was beneath her daughter. But Florence felt she had to respond to what she experienced as a divine calling. The early years of her work were less to do with practical nursing and more involved in pushing influential government figures to improve medical conditions. It wasn't until 1851 that Florence actually started training as a nurse, at the pioneering Keiserwurth in Germany. In 1853 Florence returned from Germany, and became superintendent at the Institute For The Care Of Sick Gentlewomen in Harley Street. Then in 1854, responding to reports of terrible hospital conditions for wounded soldiers in the Crimea, Florence and a team of nurses headed for Scutari in Istanbul. They did their best for patients there, cleaning the hospital, and making sure soldiers were well cared for. Sadly Florence was not aware at that time of the vital importance of effective sewerage. Hospital death rates continued to rise, due to defective sewers. It wasn't until 1855 when the sewers were flushed out, that death rates began to fall. Learning from this Florence returned to England and campaigned for sanitary living conditions. In spite of illness contracted during her time in the Crimea Florence Nightingale continued to devote her formidable energies and talents to improving hospital conditions, and to putting nursing on a professional footing. In 1907 she became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit. By this time, however, Florence Nightingale was exhausted and bedridden. She died on 13th August 1910 and was buried at St Margaret's Church in East Wellow, Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

The Museum at St Thomas's Hospital has a large collection of artifacts related to Florence Nightingale's life, her nursing school, and St Thomas's Hospital. There is a large collection of her letters and books. There are educational programmes for both primary and secondary school pupils.

If you are interested in medical history you might want to start with a visit to the site of the original St Thomas's Hospital in Southwark, close to London Bridge. Here a nineteenth century operating theatre is preserved in the attic of what was once the chapel of old St Thomas's. Then walk west along the Thames path to Lambeth, just beyond Westminster Bridge to new St Thomas's, and the Florence Nightingale Museum.

 

Opening Times: The museum is open daily 10am - 5pm. Closed Good Friday, December 25th and 26th.

Groups of over 15 visitors are asked to ring and book before visiting.

Address: Florence Nightingale Museum, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EW

Directions: The Museum can be found in Lambeth Palace Road at St Thomas's. Nearest Underground stations are at Westminster and Waterloo. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on the Florence Nightingale Museum.

Access: There is ramp access. Adapted toilet facilities are available.

Contact:

telephone: 020 7620 0374

fax: 020 7928 1760

e-mail: info@florence-nightingale.co.uk

web site: http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/index.php

 

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