A Nightingale ward is a type of hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 ward, which contains one large room without subdivisions for patient

Patient

A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....

 occupancy. It may have side rooms for utilities and perhaps one or two side rooms, that can be used for patient occupancy when patient isolation or patient privacy is important. Nightingale wards contain about 24 to 34 beds usually arranged along the sides of the ward. Modern wards tend to separate patients into bays, each usually containing 4 to 6 beds. Nightingale wards tend to be noisier than bays, which paradoxically tends to increase the perception of privacy. Observation of the patients by the nursing staff tends to be easier in a Nightingale ward than in bays. 75% of patients prefer being nursed in a bay rather than in a Nightingale ward.

The Nightingale ward was named after Florence Nightingale

Florence 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...

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