Florence Nightingale is associated with which definition of nursing?

• A. Human beings are interacting in continuous motion as energy fields.
• B. The nurse needs to focus on interpersonal processes between nurse and patient.
• C. The imbalance between the patient and the environment decreases the capacity for health.
• D. The nurse assists the patient with essential functions toward independence.

Answer: (C)

Florence Nightingale’s view emphasizes how the environment influences healing. She believed health results when the person and their surroundings are in balance, and nursing should modify environmental factors—such as cleanliness, ventilation, light, noise, nutrition, and comfort—to support recovery. When there is an imbalance between the patient and the environment, the capacity for health is reduced, which is why this option best fits Nightingale’s concept. The other ideas align with different nursing theories focused on interpersonal processes, energy fields, or enabling self-care, rather than Nightingale’s environmental focus.