The sage Nightingale and Cassandra: Drafting the future of nursing

Abstract

Background: In a period of hopelessness motivated by a restrictive Victorian society that confined women to the domestic realm, Florence Nightingale wrote the cathartic Cassandra (1852) in an attempt to trans- form her despair into rebellion. Aims: To discuss Nightingale’s approach to women’s role in Cassandra. Methods: Historical Research was used to analyse Cassandra. Data gathered from primary and secondary sources were synthesised and reported in terms of their historical context and significance. Findings: Adopting the genre of ‘sage writing’, Nightingale positions herself as a female messiah in an autoreferential narrative that projects women’s future possibilities for release. Discussion: Assuming the identity of a prophetic Greek heroine cursed to never be believed, Nightingale’s Cassandra claims professional work as the liberating solution for Victorian women. Conclusion: For the first time, Nightingale predicts in Cassandra some incipient prerequisites for a future nursing path for women’s change.