Relationship between Nightingales notes and the movie clips
The detailed account of nurses working in the hospital in the movie atonement, during the time of war shows extensive research into the nursing practices of that period. After reviewing the notes on nursing by Florence Nightingale, a lot of similarities were observed in the movie and Nightingales notes. The concepts that I would discuss here are hygiene, Noise, Petty Management and Psychological support.
Hygiene
According to Nightingale, the greater part of nursing is preserving cleanliness. She even says that ventilation can never freshen up the air until and unless thorough cleanliness is observed. She states that carpets should not be used and that the walls should be painted with oil paint for easy cleaning. In addition to that she mentions about the concept of patients hygiene and nurses own personal hygiene. In the movie, it has been observed that the nurses are involved in mopping the floors, scrubbing the beds, cleaning the bedpans, and hand washing. The shimmering clean hallways and patient wards all portray the importance given to the concept of cleanliness. Here, when we see the nurses, their clean and crisp uniforms, wearing of the aprons and gloves when cleaning the bedpans, meticulous hand washing, and nail trimming all reflect the significance of personal hygiene.
Noise
In the notes Nightingale states how noise can be disturbing for the patient. She talks about the light, firm and quick step taken by the woman, which is required by the nurses. She describes it in such a way that the women can control noise due to their light, quick and firm steps. She indicates that the unwanted noise is the ‘cruelest absence of care’, that an individual is exposed to whether sick or well. She also states that the fidget of the clothes, the sound of the keys and the squeaking shoes would do harm to the