History GCSE Paper 2 (Nursing)

These Revision notes will help anyone who are doing History GCSE Paper 2 (nursing) Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. There are a brief introductions to the careers of Nightingale and Seacole. However, they are just background information, as Paper 2 is a source paper.

It explaines how/why the 2 famous nurses became famous and what they did to help the developement of medicine as well as change every woman's life; who wanted to become a nurse or doctor.

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  • Created by: Alice
  • Created on: 11-06-11 12:49

Florence Nightingale (Background Information)

she was from a wealthy family. Her parents didn't want her to become a nurse (in those days women couldn't become nurses or doctors). she travelled to Germany where she changed the German hospitals for the better. She was then transported to Crimea with 30 other nurses to help the wounded soldiers

The Crimean hospitals were in a bad situation. She then told the men what to do and had a single hospital, but didn't go out onto the battlefield to treat the soldiers ( unlike Mary Seacole)

decreased the death rates- wounds and bullets. However more people were dying from diseases that were being spread- Nightingale then decided to improve the Hygiene systems

she paid for all the equpiments and medicianes required- but the men didn't like being told what to do by a women. When she returned to Britian she was a hero! She then wrote boks about her expereince and tell other women who wanted to be nurses, the steps to becoming successful. (it was the best seller)

She was referred to as "the Lady with the Lamp"  (as when she used to treat the soldiers in the night she used to carry a lamp with her- to recognise her the soldiers and everyone called her "the lady with the lamp")(she was a source of light and hope for the soldiers)

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Mary Seacole (Background information)

Seacole was from Jamaica and learnt her medical skills from her mother who was also a nurse. She had a few right (because she was black.) she wanted to help the soldiers in the Crimean war and so set up a hotel in Jamaica to raise money. She sold many things and soon had enough to travel.

She offered her help, once in England, but her offer was refused many times and so she knew that no one would help her because she was black. She still had a few money left so she paid her own expense to Crimea. Her offer to help was also refused by Nightingale but she carried on. She then set up her own "British Hotel" and served medicine, food and drinks to the soldiers.

Nightingale accused her of opening up a brothel (prostitution place) but no one did anything because Nightingale didn't have any proof, and the soldiers seemed to call her "Mother Seacole!" She used to attend the soldiers on the battlefield!

When she returned to England she had no money left, but the soldiers and The Times newspaper, tried to raise money for her but falied as the organising company went bankrupt.

Seacole was to be remembered for being brave!

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beckie milldog

helpful thankyou:)


that wuz great...i probably wud hav got no higher than a D buh with this source i am garaunteed a C :))


Hope you guys got good marks :)

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