New
New
Year 10
AQA

The growth of hospital care in the 19th century

I can evaluate the impact of Florence Nightingale on hospital care in the 19th century.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The growth of hospital care in the 19th century

I can evaluate the impact of Florence Nightingale on hospital care in the 19th century.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Most hospitals were unsanitary and staffed by untrained nurses.
  2. Hospitalism referred to the high risk of infection for patients.
  3. Florence Nightingale's reputation helped her promote change.
  4. The Nightingale School for Nurses improved nurses' standards and reputation.
  5. Many hospitals were built according to pavilion plans from the 1860s onwards.

Keywords

  • Sanitary - relating to preventing disease by removing dirt and waste

  • Infirmary - a hospital

  • Ward - a room in a hospital where people receiving treatment stay

Common misconception

Florence Nightingale encouraged reforms based on her acceptance of Germ Theory.

A lot of Nightingale's ideas were informed by the idea of miasma and how to protect people from it.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The growth of hospital care in the 19th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Ask pupils to compare the work of Florence Nightingale and Joseph Lister: 'who do they think was more important for protecting hospital patients' health?'.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a substance that makes you unable to feel pain known as?

Correct Answer: anaesthetic

Q2.
Which surgical problem was the use of ether supposed to help manage?

blood loss
infection
Correct answer: pain

Q3.
Who pioneered the use of carbolic acid to sterilise wounds?

James Blundell
James Simpson
John Snow
Correct answer: Joseph Lister

Q4.
Which of the following was a method used as part of aseptic surgery?

using anaesthetics
spraying carbolic acid
Correct answer: steam cleaning equipment

Q5.
Which medical theory inspired Jospeh Lister's work?

Correct answer: Germ Theory
miasma
Theory of the Four Humours

Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following developments into chronological order.

1 - Most hospitals were run by the Catholic Church.
2 - The Dissolution of the Monasteries took place.
3 - New hospitals like St Guy's were founded.
4 - Hospital conditions became increasingly unsanitary.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word. is another word used to refer to a hospital.

Correct Answer: infirmary

Q2.
Which group was the drunken and incompetent Dickens character Sarah Gamp associated with?

doctors
Correct answer: nurses
surgeons
wise women

Q3.
Write the missing word. The danger infection posed to hospital patients was referred to as in the 19th century.

Correct Answer: hospitalism

Q4.
How many nurses were trained at the Nightingale School for Nurses between 1860 and 1903?

20
almost 200
Correct answer: almost 2000
almost 20 000

Q5.
Which medical explanation encouraged Florence Nightingale to promote pavilion plans for hospitals?

Germ Theory
Correct answer: miasma
spotaneous generation

Q6.
Which statement is correct?

Nightingale nurses only worked in London.
Nightingale nurses only treated rich patients.
Nightingale nurses still had poor reputations.
Correct answer: Nightingale nurses improved hospital care in workhouses.

Additional material

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