Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Nightingale's passionate commitment to statistics was based on her faith in a god of order, who created a world that ran by law. God's laws could be known through research, as a result of which suitable interventions to better the world could be applied. Statistics were a vital component in her holistic approach to health care as a system. They served both to indicate serious problems and to assist in policy making, and then again to monitor the effects of the new policies. She pioneered the use of evaluative statistics and saw reforms achieved as a result of her advocacy. This article explores three key aspects selected from Nightingale's more than 40 years of applied statistical work: her adaptation of Quetelet's methodological foundations, the use of statistics in monitoring public health care systems, and her pioneering study of maternal mortality in childbirth.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anonymous review . (1871, November). British Medical Journal, 11, 559.

Cohen, B. I. (1984). Florence Nightingale. Scientific American, 246, 128-133, 136-137.

Cook, E. T. (1913). Life of Florence Nightingale (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Macmillan.

Pt 3, 332-351.

Hawkins, F. (1829). Elements of medical statistics. London: Longman.

Keith, J. (1988). Florence Nightingale: Statistician and consultant epidemiologist. International Nursing Review, 35(5), 147-150.

Kopf, E. (1916-1917). Florence Nightingale as statistician. Publications of the American Statistical Association, 15, 388-404.

McDonald, L. (1993). Early origins of the social sciences. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press.

McDonald, L. (1994). Women founders of the social sciences. Ottawa, Canada: Carleton University Press.

10.

McDonald, L. (Ed.). (1998). Women theorists on society and politics. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

11.

McDonald, L. (Ed.). (in press). Collected works of Florence Nightingale. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

12.

Nightingale, F. (1858a) Notes on matters affecting the health, efficiency and hospital administration of the British Army. London: Harrison.

13.

Nightingale, F. (1858b). Mortality of the British Army at home, at home and abroad, and during the Russian War, as compared with the mortality of the civil population in England. (Reprinted from the Report of the Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army. London: Harrison).

14.

Nightingale, F. (1859). A contribution to the sanitary history of the British Army during the late war with Russia. London: John Parker.

15.

Nightingale, F. (1860a/1996). Notes on nursing. In Victor Skretkowicz (Ed.). London: Bailliere Tindall. (Original work published 1860)

16.

Nightingale, F. (1860b). Hospital statistics. Proceedings of the Second Section of the International Statistical Congress, London.

17.

Nightingale, F. (1861a). Hospital statistics and hospital plans. Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, pp. 554-560.

18.

Nightingale, F. (1861b). Letter to Sir Harry Verneg. Sept. 12. British Library Additional Manuscripts: 45791: f 13.

19.

Nightingale, F. (1862). Note on the supposed protection afforded against venereal disease by recognizing prostitution and putting it under police regulation. Unpublished briefing note, London.

20.

Nightingale, F. (1863a). Observations by Miss Nightingale on the evidence contained instational returns. Report ofthe Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India. London: Stanford.

21.

Nightingale, F. (1863b). Sanitary statistics of native colonial schools and hospitals. Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, 475-488.

22.

(Reprinted in Notes on hospitals, 3rd. ed.).

23.

(Reprinted in Florence Nightingale on Hospital Reform, by C. Rosenberg , [Ed.] 1989, New York: Garland)

24.

Nightingale, F. (1894a). Health and local government. Aylesbury, UK.

25.

Nightingale, F. (1894b). Rural hygiene. Official Report of the Central Conference of Women Workers. Leeds, UK.

26.

Pearson, K. (Ed.). (1924). Life, letters and labours of Francis Galton (Vol. 2). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

27.

Quetelet, L. (1842). A treatise on man. (R. Knox, Trans.). (Scholars Facsimile re-print, 1968) New York: Burt Franklin.

28.

Quetelet, L. (1869). Physique sociale (Vols. 1 & 2). Brussels, Belgium: Muquardt.

29.

Spiegelhalter, D. (1997). Surgical audit: Statistical lessons from Nightingale and Codman. Cambridge, UK: MRC Biostatistics Unit.

30.

Stolley, P. , & Lasky, T. (1995). Investigating disease patterns: The science of epidemiology. New York: Scientific American Library.