Florence Nightingale's historical background as a member of a wealthy British family and her education in England and Germany influenced her nursing reforms. Her exposure to healthcare during the Crimean War prompted her to focus on sanitation and efficient care, emphasizing the importance of data analysis in healthcare. Nightingale's innovative use of statistics, particularly in her rose diagram, demonstrated the impact of improved conditions on military morbidity rates. Her belief that nursing should be a respected profession led to the establishment of the first nursing school, thus shaping modern nursing.