Nightingale's spiritual philosophy and its significance for modern nursing.
Image--the journal of nursing scholarship January 1, 1995 J Macrae
Florence Nightingale's manuscript 'Suggestions for Thought' attempted to integrate science and mysticism. She argued that the universe is the incarnation of a divine intelligence that regulates all things through law, and that the laws of science are the 'Thoughts of God.' Because of her conviction about universal law, she did not believe in miraculous intervention as an answer to prayer. Instead, human beings must discover God's laws and apply them for health and wholeness. Prayer is attuning one's personal self with the consciousness of God, found within. Nightingale's idea of spirituality as intrinsic to human nature and compatible with science can guide future nursing practice and inquiry.