Nightingale's spiritual philosophy and its significance for modern nursing

Abstract

In her manuscript, Suggestions for Thought, Nightingale attempted to integrate science and mysticism. She wrote that the universe is the incarnation of a divine intelligence that regulates all things through law. For Nightingale, the laws of science are the "Thoughts of God." Because of her deep conviction about universal law, she did not believe in miraculous intervention as an answer to prayer. Human beings must discover the laws of God and apply them for health and wholeness. Prayer is attuning or joining one's personal self with the consciousness of God, which is found in the deepest recesses of one's own being. Nightingale's idea of spirituality as intrinsic to human nature and compatible with science can guide the development of future nursing practice and inquiry.