Richard Speck Under the Gaze of Florence Nightingale and Concepción Arenal

Abstract

Introduction: The art of nursing implies in caring for each individual without distinction, transforming and changing the person being cared for, as Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) advocated in her holistic care model, whose signs can be perceived in the thought of Concepción Arenal. These humanist, abolitionist, and feminist women maintained that the social context has positive and negative influences on the person. They stated that criminal behavior could be prevented through education and care for people through appropriate health care attention, actions that could change the social reality of deprived neighborhoods. The general objective of this study is to analyze the biography of Richard Speck through the health care model created by Florence Nightingale and the reformist thought of Concepción Arenal. Methodology: Historical, exploratory, and descriptive investigation, with analysis and interpretation of the information obtained from primary and secondary sources. Results: Richard Speck was born in a hostile social and family environment, which led him to undergo chronic suffering and to develop a criminal personality. Conclusion: If the professionals who intervened with Richard Speck throughout his life had applied Florence Nightingale’s health care model and the Reformist thought of Concepción Arenal, at best, the murder of eight nursing students in July 1966 might have been prevented.