Advent Heroine -Day Five Florence Nightingale

I have chosen Florence Nightingale as my advent heroine. Her work in the Crimea is now thought to have been far less heroic than was reported in the papers at the time. The country had need of a heroine and Florence Nightingale's role was exaggerated to satisfy this need. I selected her because of what she did after she returned from the Crimea. she founded the first professional nursing school in the world at St Thomas's Hospital in London. Her social reforms included improving healthcare for everyone in British society as well as recommending more hunger relief in India. she also was instrumental in the abolition of laws relating to prostitution that were particularly hard on women. She also encourage the expansion of women in the workforce. Florence was also a writer – although her work was not fictional but related to the dissemination of medical knowledge. She also wrote extensively about religion and mysticism. She came from a wealthy upper-class family and was expected to marry well and raise children however her face led her to spend her life serving others. Although she suffered from chronic alehouse continued working until her death at the age of 90. A true advent heroine. Hope the snow is not too deep where you are. Fenella J Miller