In Nightingale’s time, however, statisticians tended to prefer tables for the organisation of information, no matter how large the data set.
In today’s digital world we are no strangers to the display of data in visual formats infographics with eye-catching and easy to interpret charts and graphs in bright colours are often the norm.
The Lady with the Lamp popular lithograph, reproduction of a painting by Henrietta Rae, 1891 “To understand God’s thoughts we must study statistics, for these are the measure of his purpose.” While one could certainly write reams dedicated to the dissection of Nightingale’s credentials as a revolutionary figure in nursing, I would like to focus this blog on her innovative use of statistics, and I have used the electronic resources available through LibrarySearch to do so. There has been much discussion and some disagreement between scholars and researchers as to whether Nightingale’s achievements have been overstated, and she has faced criticism regarding her interactions and attitudes towards fellow wartime nurse, Mary Seacole. It was during the Crimean War that Nightingale rose to fame, gaining a reputation as a comforting presence to the soldiers whose care she administered, and advocating for sanitary conditions to reduce deaths through disease and infection. Indeed, she was a pioneer in the visual presentation of information, displaying data through means that were at the time truly novel.īorn to a wealthy and well-connected family, Nightingale defied the wishes of her family and the conventions expected of women of her status to fulfil what she felt was a calling from God for her to become a nurse. While she is regarded by many as the founder of modern nursing, what is perhaps less well known is her prowess as a mathematician and statistician. In addition to this bicentenary, 2020 is the World Health Organisation’s ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’ so a look at Nightingale’s life and work feels especially relevant. With the construction of the NHS’s COVID-19 critical care field hospitals, known as Nightingale hospitals in England, the legacy of ‘the lady with the lamp’ is as relevant and prevalent as ever. Next month, 12 th May to be precise, sees the 200 th birthday of Florence Nightingale.
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