 Florence Nightingale is the child of wealthy parents in 19th Century England. She is uninterested in marriage, society life and money. She wants to help the poor. When she accepts a job as superintendent at a hospital in the slums of London, he parents threaten to disown her. But Florence knows what she was meant to do. She says that to marry would ruin the life that God intended her to have. War comes to the Crimea and British troops are involved in the action. The British Army hospital in Turkey is full of the wounded and the sick. In an effort to relieve the suffering, Florence and a small group of women are sent to help. At the hospital, Florence and the others face the contempt of the military officials. The head of the hospital, John Hall, does not allow the nurses to care for the sick. But he cannot stop the nurses from showing compassion to the wounded men. Finally, when the situation in the hospital grows desperate, John Hall reluctantly allows Florence and the other nurses to minister to the soldiers. Quickly Florence takes matters in hand. Conditions improve. The death rate falls. When "The Times" of London publishes stories about her work, they call her "The Lady of the Lamp." A woman full of compassion. On a trip to the front lines hospitals, Florence falls ill from exhaustion and seems near death. While still in a fever, she receives a brooch from Queen Victoria inscribed: "Blessed are the Merciful." From her parents she receives a letter expressing how proud they are of her. Florence recovers. She returns to the military hospital where the grateful men salute her.