In 1860, Florence Nightingale was able to use government funds awarded to her after the Crimean War to establish the first secular nursing school. In doing so, Nightingale began to professionalize nursing and provide a sort of headquarters for training in the profession. She also brought more women into the field, which was made more socially acceptable by Nightingale's previous achievements. As a result of the school being opened, more nurses and midwives were able to assist in helping those of lower classes. Many alumna of the school would go on to open their own schools or bring about advancements in the field of nursing.
Despite the positive actions taken by Nightingale, she was an extremely harmful figure in many other respects. She held outdated views on medical theory, which means that she likely influenced generations of nurses in a way that hurt the medical field. Additionally, her views on colonialism would have influenced the way she approached medical treatment of non-European people. For example, she saw Indigenous people as lesser than English people. She also contributed to the English imperial project. Altogether, the positive impact that Nightingale had with her nursing school is largely negated by all the harmful beliefs and practices she perpetuated. The school still exists in a form today; however, it is part of King's College London.
Sources:
Florence Nightingale: Her Impact On Nursing And Colonialism | NurseJournal.org
British Journal of Nursing - The legacy of Florence Nightingale's educational reforms for nursing