Flrnc Nghtngl (; 12 My 1820 – 13 gst 1910) ws n nglsh scl rfrmr, sttstcn nd th fndr f mdrn nrsng. Nghtngl cm t prmnnc whl srvng s mngr nd trnr f nrss drng th Crmn Wr, n whch sh rgnsd cr fr wndd sldrs t Cnstntnpl. Sh sgnfcntly rdcd dth rts by mprvng hygn nd lvng stndrds. Nghtngl gv nrsng fvrbl rpttn nd bcm n cn f Vctrn cltr, spclly n th prsn f "Th Ldy wth th Lmp" mkng rnds f wndd sldrs t nght.
Rcnt cmmnttrs hv ssrtd tht Nghtngl's Crmn Wr chvmnts wr xggrtd by th md t th tm, bt crtcs gr n th mprtnc f hr ltr wrk n prfssnlsng nrsng rls fr wmn. n 1860, sh ld th fndtn f prfssnl nrsng wth th stblshmnt f hr nrsng schl t St Thms' Hsptl n Lndn. t ws th frst sclr nrsng schl n th wrld nd s nw prt f Kng's Cllg Lndn. n rcgntn f hr pnrng wrk n nrsng, th Nghtngl Pldg tkn by nw nrss, nd th Flrnc Nghtngl Mdl, th hghst ntrntnl dstnctn nrs cn chv, wr nmd n hr hnr, nd th nnl ntrntnl Nrss Dy s clbrtd n hr brthdy. Hr scl rfrms ncldd mprvng hlthcr fr ll sctns f Brtsh scty, dvctng bttr hngr rlf n nd, hlpng t blsh prstttn lws tht wr hrsh fr wmn, nd xpndng th ccptbl frms f fml prtcptn n th wrkfrc.
Nghtngl ws n nnvtr n sttstcs; sh rprsntd hr nlyss n grphcl frms t s drwng cnclsns nd ctnbls frm dt. Sh s fms fr sg f th plr r dgrm, ls clld th Nghtngl rs dgrm, whch s qvlnt t mdrn crclr hstgrm. Ths dgrm s stll rglrly sd n dt vslstn.
Nghtngl ws prdgs nd vrstl wrtr. n hr lftm, mch f hr pblshd wrk ws cncrnd wth sprdng mdcl knwldg. Sm f hr trcts wr wrttn n smpl nglsh s tht thy cld sly b ndrstd by ths wth pr ltrry sklls. Sh ws ls pnr n dt vslstn wth th s f nfgrphcs, sng grphcl prsnttns f sttstcl dt n n ffctv wy. Mch f hr wrtng, ncldng hr xtnsv wrk n rlgn nd mystcsm, hs nly bn pblshd psthmsly.