The Florence Nightingale effect is a phenomenon in which a caregiver develops romantic feelings toward a patient in their care, even when little communication or contact occurs outside of basic caregiving duties. These romantic feelings typically fade once the patient no longer requires care. The phenomenon is named after the nineteenth-century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale and describes a recurring trope in medicine and caregiving relationships.
Facts
Partially Attested
First Described YearThe phrase was used earlier, in 1974, by David Woods in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, but in a different sense, health workers pursuing non-tangible career rewards; 1982 is the earliest found use of the phrase for the romantic caregiver-patient sense this entity describes. Core ClaimThe Florence Nightingale effect is a phenomenon in which a caregiver falls in love with a patient in their care even though very little communication or contact takes place outside of basic caregiving duties. 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Florence Nightingale effect, Wikipedia
Lead section
a caregiver falls in love with their patient, even if very little communication or contact takes place outside of basic care.
Origin section
Albert Finney referred to the effect as the 'Florence Nightingale syndrome' in a 1982 interview
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.