McDonald L
University of Guelph.
J Holist Nurs. 1998 Jun;16(2):267-77; discussion 278-80. doi: 10.1177/089801019801600215.
Nightingale's passionate commitment to statistics was based on her faith in a god of order, who created a world that ran by law. God's laws could be known through research, as a result of which suitable interventions to better the world could be applied. Statistics were a vital component in her holistic approach to health care as a system. They served both to indicate serious problems and to assist in policy making, and then again to monitor the effects of the new policies. She pioneered the use of evaluative statistics and saw reforms achieved as a result of her advocacy. This article explores three key aspects selected from Nightingale's more than 40 years of applied statistical work: her adaptation of Quetelet's methodological foundations, the use of statistics in monitoring public health care systems, and her pioneering study of maternal mortality in childbirth.
南丁格尔对统计学的热情奉献基于她对秩序之神的信仰，这位神创造了一个依循法则运行的世界。上帝的法则可通过研究被知晓，据此可以应用适当的干预措施来改善世界。统计学是她将医疗保健视为一个系统的整体方法中的重要组成部分。它们既用于指出严重问题，协助制定政策，又再次用于监测新政策的效果。她开创了评估性统计的应用，并目睹了因她的倡导而实现的改革。本文探讨了从南丁格尔40多年的应用统计工作中选取的三个关键方面：她对凯特勒方法论基础的改编、统计学在监测公共医疗保健系统中的应用，以及她对分娩中孕产妇死亡率的开创性研究。
