200 years of Florence Nightingale: contributions to the professional practice of nurses in hospitals

ABSTRACT Objective: Analyze the agreement of nurses, who work in hospital institutions, about Florence Nightingale’s conceptions about nursing, people, health and the environment. Method: Quantitative, observational and cross-sectional study, with the participation of 3,451 nurses from 36 Portuguese hospitals. Data collection took place from July 2015 to March 2016, using a questionnaire. For analysis, descriptive and analytical statistics were used. Results: It was evident that 60% to 70% of participating nurses considered that Florence Nightingale’s conceptions of nursing, person, health and environment were partly in agreement or totally in agreement with their practice. The variables that influenced agreement were: service, condition in which they practice the profession, length of professional practice, academic degree and region of the country. Conclusion: Florence Nightingale’s conceptions continue to contribute to professional nursing practice, with the region and the service significantly influencing this continuity.