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Sioban Nelson and Ann Marie Rafferty, eds. Notes on Nightingale: The Influence and Legacy of a Nursing Icon. The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work. Ithaca, N.Y.: ILR Press, 2010. vii + 172 pp. $59.95 (cloth, 978-0-8014-4906-2), $18.95 (paperbound, 978-0-8014-7611-2).
Like other iconic individuals, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) has been the subject of considerable debate regarding her character, competency, and contributions to nursing. Although more than a century has passed since her death, scholars have yet to completely elucidate this remarkable and controversial figure. The present volume, comprising seven essays by American and Canadian scholars, continues the discussion and debate and is a valuable addition to the growing body of modern scholarship on Nightingale's life and legacy.
The introduction by the volume's editors, Sioban Nelson and Anne Marie Rafferty provides a brief overview of Nightingale's significance and biography and introduces the essays that follow. Their goal is to "take key elements of the Nightingale story and legacy and bring fresh analyses from leading scholars and thinkers in the field" (p. 5), and in this the volume succeeds.
The first essay, by Sioban Nelson, titled "The Nightingale Imperative," examines the icon that Nightingale became in diverse cultures and eras, far beyond her Victorian identity and context, illustrating the "malleability of her story to fit multiple audiences and political agendas" (p. 11). Nelson ponders how and why Nightingale continues to inspire nurses from around the world since she is so identified with the British colonial endeavor. While acknowledging that Nightingale's reputation has had its ups and...