Environmental Theory by Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale is also known as A lady with a lamp . According to Delaune and Ladner  Nightingale did not develop a theory of nursing as theory is defined today, but rather she provided the nursing profession with the philosophical basis from which other theories have emerged and developed. Nightingale's ideas about nursing have guided both theoretical thought and actual nursing practice throughout the history of modern nursing. One of her theories was the Environmental Theory, which incorporated the restoration of the usual health status of the nurse's clients into the delivery of health care, it is still practiced today.Nightingale  stated in her nursing notes that nursing  is an act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery  that it involves the nurse's initiative to configure environmental settings appropriate for the gradual restoration of the patients health. Florence is considered a the founder of modern nursing she introduced many other concepts that though unique in her time are still used today. She advocated having a systematic method of assessing client. According to her in 1859 a person’s health was the direct result of environmental influences, specifically cleanliness, light, pure air, pure water and efficient drainage. Through manipulating the environment nursing “aims to discover the laws of nature that would assist in putting the patient in the best possible condition so that nature can effect a cure”.

Reference:
Sue C. Delaune and Patricia K Ladner : Fundamentals of Nursing Third edition 2006
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightingale's_environmental_theory