Florence Nightingale's Changing Image - Part 2 by Sonya Grypma

Journal of Christian Nursing Continuing Nursing Education Fall 2005 Volume 22, Number 4
expires September 2007

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Purpose Statement

The purpose of this self-directed study is to explore a biblical view of healing and identify how nurses may respond to common questions about God’s role in healing.

Learning Objectives
After reading this article, learners will be able to:
1. Identify Florence Nightingale's most significant contributions to nursing.
2. Examine Nightingale's theology and spiritual beliefs.
3. Analyze diverse interpretations that exist of Nightingale's work and spiritual philosophy.

Questions:

1. What cautions should readers take when reading accounts of Florence Nightingale?
a. Writers try to approach Nightingale using her voice, values and beliefs.
b. Writers tend to examine their ideas in light of Nightingale's philosophical tenets.
c. Readers should try to review Nightingales only from a Judeo-Christian perspective.
d. Readers must differentiate between Nightingale's and the writer's views.

2. How did Nightingale's best contributions to nursing emerge?
a. Through her Christian faith in a personal and active Godhead.
b. By a conceptualization of how nurses could meet human needs.
c. Through her postmodernist contributions to theological thought.
d. By an understanding of her philosophy of life and religion.

3. What formed the basis for Nightingale's concept of nursing?
a. It was a way for women to escape tyrannical Victorian societal mandates.
b. As handmaidens for physicians and to emulate her male counterparts.
c. It was a religious calling from God for women to alleviate human suffering.
d. It was a natural consequence of her beliefs as taught by the Church of England.

4. Which statement best explains Nightingale's view of nurses engaging in "soul-saving?"
a. Nightingale thought saving souls could lead to neglect of nursing care.
b. Nurses were to help patients explore many faiths with an open mind.
c. Nightingale did not believe in separation from God, so all will go to heaven.
d. Physical care was more important to Nightingale than spiritual care.

5. According to the phases of mystical spiritual development, what is the best Christian interpretation of Nightingale's progression through the purgation phase?
a. She broke free of family, religious and social restraints to pursue her vocation.
b. She experienced contact with divine reality through communion with God.
c. She sought tangible ways to fulfill her calling from God and emulate Christ.
d. She discovered her imperfections and separated from love of worldly success.

6. Why did Nightingale challenge the theological and societal norms of her day?
a. She drew on God's strength to move nursing back to its Christian heritage.
b. She was forming the underlying precepts of her philosophy of nursing.
c. She believed spiritual nourishment was the only strength to sustain nursing.
d. She was attempting to move society into better alignment with God's will.

7. What was Nightingale's thinking regarding miracles of healing?
a. A person should not ask for miraculous intervention but take corrective action.
b. Miracles were directly related to the amount of faith and devotion to God.
c. The closer a person's communication with God, the more God would take action.
d. Prayer for healing was against the Bible; God would intervene based on need.

8. According to Nightingale's beliefs, what is the purpose of a prayer life?
a. For confession of sins.
b. To commune with God.
c. To offer praise to God.
d. To contemplate original sin.

9. What is a key step in interpreting any author's writings:
a. Check the author's historical sources.
b. Verify the author's past credibility.
c. Learn about the author's methods.
d. Learn about the author's worldview.

10. What do conflicting views of Nightingale, written soon after her death and many years later, indicate?
a. History can be interpreted differently by different people.
b. Historical sources must always be verified fro accuracy.
c. Original sources are most important for historical writing.
d. One can never really know what is historically accurate.

11. Considering the disparate views of Nightingale and differences between Victorian and contemporary nursing, how should nurses view Nightingale today?
a. Nightingale should be considered both a Christian and a Postmodern Mystic.
b. Nightingale has outlived her usefulness as a modern role model for nursing.
c. Nightingale remains a controversial feminist, statistician and nurse leader.
d. Nightingale remains a positive role model for passion and intellectualism.

12. According to Grypma, which statement most accurately describes Nightingale's view of religion?
a. Commonalities can be found among the various religions.
b. Christianity isn't perfect but it is better than the alternatives.
c. All religions should be explored as equally valid.
d. Religion helps us pursue a unitive state with the Divine.