The majority of medical workers in the 19th century had very little training and skill; a surgeon would have learnt how to operate by becoming the apprentice of another surgeon. Nurses were seen to be quite low in society, what with being surrounded with poorly members of the public and having to work in filthy and very unpleasant conditions. The hospitals they had then were typically rat-infested, the wounded on the floor rather than on beds, with very low supply of bandages and no soap, towels or washing material. This quite clearly explains why Florence Nightingale's family were utterly against her wishes to go into nursing. Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 to a wealthy family. She was given first class schooling and lived in a comfortable environment. The idea of someone in her position wanting to go into work, let alone nursing, was seen as preposterous. Nightingale's family – her mother especially - had no interest in her wishes. Then finally, Florence's father gave her £500 (a large sum of money in those days) to go and study nursing in Germany.
            
             During the Crimean War Florence Nightingale was working in the British barracks-hospital in Scutari (now part of Turkey), looking after the wounded soldiers who had been battling for Britain. The death rate of the wounded soldiers was exceedingly high. Florence Nightingale introduced very strict sanitation standards. The death rate within the hospital dropped by a substantial amount.
            
             After the war Nightingale returned home to a hero's welcome. She promoted nursing as a professional medical career. She founded a training school at St Thomas' Hospital and an army medical school. In 1869 she stayed in her home as a hermit, but still contributed administratively to the development of nursing in Britain and to the well being of patients in hospitals.
            
             In conclusion Florence Nightingale contributed a great deal to the development ...