Florence Nightingale was an English nurse who reinvented the profession of nursing during The Crimean War. She was born in Florence, Italy to British parents and became determined to become a nurse from a young age. Her parents spent many years trying to dissuade her from the profession but eventually in 1851 she found herself able to proceed in her career. Her reforms were crucial in her service in the Crimean War, primarily by improving the hygiene of soldiers and camps. Her work as a nurse creates an interesting contrast between her and the nursing of Mary Seacole. While both nurses went to Crimea as an act of goodwill to improve the lives and standings of officers, Nightingale's efforts are routed in a much more stoic place rather than one of profit. Despite their differences both women made essential efforts in helping soldiers and saving the lives of those in Crimea.

"Florence Nightingale." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2001. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1000120985/LitRC?u=sand82993&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=060dd1a7. Accessed 9 Dec. 2021.