“The ultimate destination of all nursing is the nursing of the sick in their own homes....I look to the abolition of all hospitals and workhouse infirmaries.”
—Florence Nightingale
“医护行业终极目标是要往在患者家中护理病人方向发展。……因此，我一直期待着所有医疗机构都消失的那一天。”
——佛罗伦斯·南丁格尔
Lady with the Lamp—Florence Nightingale
提灯女士——佛罗伦斯·南丁格尔
Florence Nightingale entered the hospital and was appalled and horrified by what she saw. Wounded soldiers lay on straw mats that lined the room like coffins waiting for burial. The floor was covered with dirt and blood. There were no hospital gowns： the men still wore their uniforms. As Nightingale passed them， each soldier tried to act stern and tough， but their boyish faces betrayed unmistakable pain. Those who were able to conquer their convulsions lay still， as if dead.
These were the hospital conditions in Scutari， Turkey during the Crimean War. Florence and a group of nurses were sent to this hospital to help make the hospital a more efficient place. The first change Florence made was scrubbing all the injured men's clothes. Then， she spent her own money buying bandages， operating tables and other basic necessities for the hospital. Her nurses cleaned the whole hospital so there were no more germs and this helped to stop contamination and spread of disease. She is a hero because she changed the hospital and saved lives with her determination and hard work. Florence Nightingale also changed the profession of nursing forever. Nursing was once an occupation with little respect： people didn't think you needed any special training or skills to do it， and most nurses were poor and uneducated. It was very unusual for Florence， who came from the upper class， to work in a hospital. The hospital conditions were more sanitary after she reorganized everything. Funds and donations flooded into hospitals and the patients received better care. Hospitals around the world were changed forever， and caring for the sick became an honorable profession.
Nightingale was born in Florence， Italy on May 12， 1820. Although Italian born， she grew up in London， England， where her education included the study of Greek， Latin， German， French and Italian. Her father taught her history and philosophy while her governess schooled her in music and drawing. As part of an upper class family， Nightingale and her sister were expected to grow up as proper ladies who would “devote themselves to their family， husband， society， entertainment and cultural pursuits”.
She believed that her attraction to nursing was God's will， or “a calling，” and because of that she made many personal sacrifices to pursue her professional life with intensity.
Her family disapproved of her decision to take up the nursing profession， which was seen in her day as a vocation for lower classes， one carried out under harsh conditions in dirty hospital environments. The family's disappointment did not deter her from her goal， and at the age of 33， having studied nursing for nine years， Florence began caring for the sick.
In 1853， she was asked to work at the Harley Street Nursing Home. There， she made improvements that included better organization and training for the staff， and she implemented a system that piped hot water to every floor. She also created a lift to bring patients their meals.
The Crimean War began and the British army was unprepared to accommodate British battle injuries and casualties in Crimea. This led to disasters such as cholera， lack of supplies， and inadequate sanitation. British Secretary of War， Sidney Herbert asked Nightingale to take nurses and help the hospital in Scutari， Turkey. On October 21， 1854 she set out for the hospital with the 38 nurses she had trained.
The state of the hospital in Turkey was horrendous but even more challenging was the hostile attitude the nurses received from the doctors. Many did not even allow nurses inside the wards！ It wasn't until the Battle of Inkerman， during which the British suffered many casualties and the hospitals became overcrowded that the doctors were forced to ask for help.
Nightingale used her own money to make the hospital a cleaner， healthier and more efficient place for patients. She brought in basics including bandages， extra clothes scrub brushes and better food. She also took all the dirty clothing outside the hospital to be washed.
She sent reports back to London about ways to improve conditions and assumed care of the patients at night， moving about each floor comforting patients with a lamp in hand. This intimate relationship with her patients earned her the affectionate title of “Lady with the Lamp”.
Though the male hospital team often resented her power to affect change， the troops were so grateful to her that they raised a special fund to allow her to continue her work.
Through selfless devotion and sheer determination， Florence Nightingale transformed the profession of nursing forever. She gave dignity and honor to what continues to be a female-dominated profession and revolutionized hospital conditions， making them more organized and above all， sanitary. Largely because of her efforts， funds and donations flooded into hospitals， allowing patients around the world to receive better care.
走进医院后，佛罗伦斯·南丁格尔眼前所看到的一切着实让她感到震惊。屋子里受伤的士兵横七竖八地躺在破草垫子上，看上去就像是一口口要送去掩埋的棺材。地面上全是灰尘，还浸渍着斑斑血迹。没有医院的病服，士兵们身上还都穿着军装。南丁格尔走过他们身边时，每个战士却努力表现出坚毅、强悍的一面，但从那一张张稚嫩的脸上就能看出他们身上所忍受的剧痛。还有一些伤员身上的痉挛阵痛刚刚挺过去，静静地躺在地上，就像是快要死了一样。
这就是土耳其克里米亚战争时期，斯库塔瑞地区的医疗状况。佛罗伦斯率领一组护士，她们被派遣到这家医院来改善这里的医疗卫生条件。佛罗伦斯所做的第一件事就是把所有伤员的衣服进行消毒清洗，又主动出资为医院购买了绷带、手术台以及其他基本医疗用品。护士们把整家医院都作了消毒处理，防止细菌滋生和疾病互相传染。南丁格尔以坚定的意志和不懈的努力，致力于改善医疗状况，救死扶伤，她是人们心中的英雄。佛罗伦斯·南丁格尔也因此永远改变了人们心中对护士这一职业的看法，护理工作曾经一度受到轻视。当时的人们认为，这项工作用不着经过专业训练，也毫无特殊技能而言。大多数护士都是没受过教育的穷人。佛罗伦斯的不寻常之处在于她出身名门富有之家，却选择到医院做护理工作。在她重新调配医疗设施之后，这家医院的医疗状况大为改观。各种基金、捐款源源不断地进入医院，患者也因此得到了更好的照料。继而，全世界的医院也因此发生了翻天覆地的变化，护理病人成为一项光荣的工作。
1820年5月12日，南丁格尔生于意大利的佛罗伦萨城。在英国伦敦长大，并在此受到良好的教育，精通希腊语、拉丁语、德语、法语及意大利语。从小由父亲传授她有关历史、哲学方面的知识；由家庭教师教她学习音乐、绘画。作为上流社会家庭中的子女，父母期待南丁格尔姐妹能如所有贵族淑女一样成长、发展。希望她们长大后都要“全身心照顾自己的丈夫、家庭；注重社交、娱乐、以及文化”。
南丁格尔觉得自己听到了上帝的意志和召唤，要她去完成一个护士的使命。因此，她倾其一生以极大的热情献身到护理病人——这一职业生涯之中。
家人不同意佛罗伦斯去从事护理工作，因为当时英国医院肮脏混乱，护士的社会地位几乎等同于仆役。但家人的反对丝毫没有阻止她当护士的决心。33岁那年南丁格尔已经接受了9年的护理训练，正式开始从事护理工作。
1853年，南丁格尔受聘在哈里街道护理院工作。在那里，她大刀阔斧地展开一系列改革，包括完善组织、培训护士，安装一种把热水送到医院各楼层的设施；她还发明了一种为病人送饭的电梯。
克里米亚战争打响后，英国的战地医院管理不善，救护条件极差，缺少补给用品，导致了像霍乱这种疾病的传播。英国战时军事大臣西德尼·赫伯特任命南丁格尔率医疗队帮助改善土耳其斯库塔瑞地区的战地医院状况。1854年10月21日，她率领38名特训护士亲赴前线。
在土耳其战地医院，不仅医疗卫生条件极其恶劣，护士还经常受到医生的排挤，甚至不允许护士进入病房。直到因克曼战争时期，英军伤亡惨重，医院里过度拥挤，医生才不得不求助护士帮忙。
南丁格尔用自己的资金为患者建设一家更卫生、更健康、更高效的医疗机构。她为医院购置了诸如绷带、修养服、清洁刷、营养食品这类医疗必需品；还把那些脏衣服都拿出医院进行消毒清洗。
南丁格尔定期将报告发给伦敦政府，提出改进医疗卫生方面的建议。夜深人静时，她手持油灯巡视病房，无微不至地关爱着每一个伤员。她和病人间这种亲密无间的关系为她赢得了“提灯女士”的美誉。
在前线，尽管以男性为主导的医疗队经常会对南丁格尔身上独有的影响力怀有敌意，但战士们却对她感激不尽。为表示对她的崇高敬意，他们提出建立一个专门基金来支持南丁格尔继续从事护理工作。
通过佛罗伦斯·南丁格尔的无私奉献及其坚定意志，护士这一职业从此发生了深刻转变。她为这一以女性为主导的职业带来了无限尊严与荣誉，为医院的医疗环境和卫生条件带来了革命性的变化。由于南丁格尔一生的不懈努力，大量基金和捐款开始用于医疗护理事业，因而世界各地的患者开始得到更多的关爱。
译者感言
南丁格尔曾在日记中写道：摆在我面前的道路有三条：一是成为文学家；二是结婚当主妇；三是当护士。然而，她鄙视贵妇人无所事事的寄生生活，抨击当时的社会道德观念，主张男女平等，提倡妇女参加劳动。出身名门富贵之家的弗罗伦斯不顾父母的反对，毅然选择了当一名护士。
在那个时代，有身份的人绝不去做护士。做护士的，往往都是一些无知、粗鲁、酗酒、没有受过训练的贫苦女人。她利用旅行的机会，了解各地护理工作。尽管家人强烈反对，但南丁格尔觉得自己似乎是听到了上帝的声音，要她完成一个使命。她凭借这一份执着的毅力接受专业护理训练，使她学护士的理想终于实现。在学习期间，她亲赴前线不仅为病人解除痛苦，还给予精神慰藉，付出多方面的辛勤劳动。
执着，会让一位柔弱女子历尽炮火却毫不动摇；执着，会让她面对名门富贵而英雄无悔；执着，是一种力量，一种境界，它催人奋进，陶冶情操。
