What was Florence Nightingale's most significant long-term achievement in the nursing profession?

Florence Nightingale's most significant long-term achievement in nursing was making nursing a respected profession. This transformation began during the Crimean War when she highlighted the importance of proper sanitation, nutrition, and nursing care in improving patient outcomes. Her tireless efforts and statistical evidence demonstrated that organized, compassionate nursing care significantly reduced the death rate among soldiers, leading to broader recognition of the profession's value.

Nightingale's work laid the foundation for nursing as a distinct and credible profession, shifting public perception and earning respect for nurses as essential healthcare providers. This societal shift was crucial in paving the way for formal education and training in nursing, elevating it to a skilled and articulate profession. While establishing nursing schools and authoring textbooks were important milestones, the overarching impact of Nightingale's influence on the profession's respect and recognition has had lasting effects on the field of nursing and healthcare as a whole.