Marriage
“It is suggested that this refusal of marriage shows incredible strength of character, her rejection of marriage for this reason being possible unique among nineteenth century women… she was prepared to sacrifice her happiness and security to show women the way forward even though it appears that, at this point, she did not have a clear picture of what lay ahead.” (Holliday, Parker 485).
Marriage Proposals
At first, Sir Harry Verney proposed to Florence and then to her sister, Parthe, who he married after Florence's refusal.
Florence Nightingale, in her personal diary, clarified why she rejected Richard Monckton Milnes marriage proposal.
"I have a moral, an active nature which requires satisfaction and that I would not find in his life. I could be satisfied to spend a life with him in combining our different powers to some great object. I could not satisfy this nature by spending a life with him in making society and arranging domestic things." (Florence Nightingale).
After rejecting her all of marriage proposals, Nightingale’s entire family blocked her out of their lives. Nightingale’s father even stopped offering her financial support. After feeling bitterly rejected, Nightingale decided to take to writing and it became her way to escape society and even published a book called Suggestions for Thought. She then traveled to Germany to escape her family’s wrath and trained for three months to become a nurse.
While in Germany, Nightingale also created quotes that were about nursing.
“Nursing in an art; and if it is to be made an art, it requires as exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work;” (Dossey, Keegan 37).
People should interpret nursing as an art and a nurse should be committed to their career. Nightingale worked as hard as she could to devote herself to the field of nursing and assisting others. Without Nightingale’s groundbreaking ideas on sanitation, her common sense ideas that were used helped wouldn’t have shaped how nurses today are assisted in the creation of process.
"I have a moral, an active nature which requires satisfaction and that I would not find in his life. I could be satisfied to spend a life with him in combining our different powers to some great object. I could not satisfy this nature by spending a life with him in making society and arranging domestic things." (Florence Nightingale).
After rejecting her all of marriage proposals, Nightingale’s entire family blocked her out of their lives. Nightingale’s father even stopped offering her financial support. After feeling bitterly rejected, Nightingale decided to take to writing and it became her way to escape society and even published a book called Suggestions for Thought. She then traveled to Germany to escape her family’s wrath and trained for three months to become a nurse.
While in Germany, Nightingale also created quotes that were about nursing.
“Nursing in an art; and if it is to be made an art, it requires as exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work;” (Dossey, Keegan 37).
People should interpret nursing as an art and a nurse should be committed to their career. Nightingale worked as hard as she could to devote herself to the field of nursing and assisting others. Without Nightingale’s groundbreaking ideas on sanitation, her common sense ideas that were used helped wouldn’t have shaped how nurses today are assisted in the creation of process.