Florence Nightingale effect
Encyclopedia
The Florence Nightingale effect is a term used to describe a doctor's, nurse's or other caregiver's development of feelings for his/her patient. This effect causes a feeling much like infatuation, love or sexual attraction to come over the caregiver regarding a patient, even if very little communication or contact takes place outside of basic care. Feelings may fade once the patient recovers or dies.
, a pioneer in the field of nursing in the second half of the 19th century. Because of her passion for caregiving, she was known as "the lady of the lamp" because she would check on patients even at night (something not done before). Her care would forever change the way hospitals treated patients. There is no record of Florence Nightingale having ever fallen in love with one of her patients. In fact, despite some offers, she never married for fear it might interfere with her calling for nursing. As best as can be determined, the phrase originated in pop-culture.
, from which Nightingale was said to have suffered. Some consider her the first known case of CFS.
It is not recognized as a medical condition; rather, it is a pop culture name given to a situation. It is considered unethical in the medical profession for a provider to become involved with a patient, and doing so could result in termination of the caregiver.
.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-transference.html
when Dr. Emmett Brown describes Marty McFly's mother's infatuation with him, to whom she had tended while he was unconscious after being hit by a car, as a Florence Nightingale effect, summarizing that "it happens in hospitals when nurses fall in love with their patients". It should be noted that this is actually the earliest known use of the phrase.
Lois says that Meg has a typical Florence Nightingale syndrome after finding out about her crush on Joe Swanson at the Family Guy
s episode 12 of the season 9 titled "The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair
".
In the first season first episode of the TV series Royal Pains
, Dr. Hank told April it is just a Florence Nightingale syndrome when she kept telling him she was in love with him after he saved her life at Boris' party, which was not the right use of the term.
Origin
The effect is named for Florence NightingaleFlorence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
, a pioneer in the field of nursing in the second half of the 19th century. Because of her passion for caregiving, she was known as "the lady of the lamp" because she would check on patients even at night (something not done before). Her care would forever change the way hospitals treated patients. There is no record of Florence Nightingale having ever fallen in love with one of her patients. In fact, despite some offers, she never married for fear it might interfere with her calling for nursing. As best as can be determined, the phrase originated in pop-culture.
Medical
The Florence Nightingale effect and the Florence Nightingale syndrome are often considered to be the same thing. However, the latter can also refer to chronic fatigue syndromeChronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
, from which Nightingale was said to have suffered. Some consider her the first known case of CFS.
It is not recognized as a medical condition; rather, it is a pop culture name given to a situation. It is considered unethical in the medical profession for a provider to become involved with a patient, and doing so could result in termination of the caregiver.
Misconception
Many often misunderstand the term to mean the opposite; that is, a patient falling in love with the caregiver as a result of interpreting an amiable bedside manner as affection. The right term coined by Sigmund Freud for this situation is transferenceTransference
Transference is a phenomenon in psychoanalysis characterized by unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another. One definition of transference is "the inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person's childhood." Another definition is "the...
.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-transference.html
In the media
The term was used in the movie Back to the FutureBack to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
when Dr. Emmett Brown describes Marty McFly's mother's infatuation with him, to whom she had tended while he was unconscious after being hit by a car, as a Florence Nightingale effect, summarizing that "it happens in hospitals when nurses fall in love with their patients". It should be noted that this is actually the earliest known use of the phrase.
Lois says that Meg has a typical Florence Nightingale syndrome after finding out about her crush on Joe Swanson at the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
s episode 12 of the season 9 titled "The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair
The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair
"The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 6, 2011. The episode follows high school student Meg as she attempts to look after her handicapped neighbor, Joe, after...
".
In the first season first episode of the TV series Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
, Dr. Hank told April it is just a Florence Nightingale syndrome when she kept telling him she was in love with him after he saved her life at Boris' party, which was not the right use of the term.
External links
- "Edge Runner Transforms Nurse Safety" - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:o0ClNa6GNQ0J:https://www.warc.com/ContentAndPartners/Samples/76304.pdf+%22Florence+Nightingale+effect%22+medical+source:%22-newswire%22+source:%22-wire%22+source:%22-presswire%22+source:%22-PR%22+source:%22-press%22+source:%22-release%22+source:%22-wikipedia%22&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgxqZmBIaZXNCdguRHNJnOgUbaSEtZqKdx_GTFvohuV8_r-3_xLo3b8oj5sX0GkpoX_ypdRVtoAtQqB7OscyqPji_10vHZ5hJn1A4N_Whe1C1Ng8oPDDMR6cVgx3slQLwwtma1R&sig=AHIEtbT8Cse6G4O66wn_QVkPuUQJX_XgEA"A Review of the Four Prominent Marketing Schools of Thought" - Journal of Advertising History]
- "Barbarian Beasts or Mothers of Invention"