For Nightingale, the laws of science are the 'Thoughts of God. She wrote that the universe is the incarnation of a divine intelligence that regulates all things through law. Nightingale maintained that dedication even after the war was over, returning to London to start the first school of nursing and train a generation of women to be compassionate and share that same dedication. In her manuscript, Suggestions for Thought, Nightingale attempted to integrate science and mysticism. Its song is considered to be a good sign and a positive omen for creatives (poets, singers, writers, and artists). A bird of the night with its evening song, its nocturnal behavior colors the stories of many lovers tales. She would stay up late so often, tending to the wounded, that she became known as the “lady with the lamp”. The nightingale has been used throughout literature and story to represent love, secrets, and mystery. The white dove features prominently in many cultures as. These are two important spiritual concepts that the dove spirit animal teaches you to apply wherever you go. During this war, Nightingale transformed nursing from a profession for nuns and old women to a serious and respectable profession, not to mention one of the few open to women. Then this guide is for you The world over, white doves are used as symbols of love and peace. The significance goes back to Florence Nightingales’s service during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Snakes were thought to be the bringers of good luck for the Greeks. Snakes are a common feature of Greek Mythology, and they take on two main meanings in Greek Mythology: good luck and evil. The lamp represents nursing traditions of selfless work and dedication. Serpents are ancient creatures and have been around during the times of Ancient Greece.

The lamp is often used during pinning ceremonies, when new nurses will hold up an oil lamp and recite a nursing pledge. While the other symbols evolved from ancient beginnings, this one is well documented and directly related to one of the most significant figures in nursing: Florence Nightingale. One of the relatively lesser known medical symbols is the oil lamp.

Nightingale symbolism