At the time of her birth, many girls didn't receive a education. But her father, William Nightingale, believed that all women should have a education. He taught her and her sister subjects such as science, mathematics, history and philosophy. She also gained a interest in hospitals.
At first, her parents refused to let her be a nurse for educational purposes. But she did not give up, and by 1851 her father let her go to Germany to train as a nurse.