LISA GAUDION, LEAD NURSE

National Nurses Week began on National Nurses Day on 6 May and ends on 12 May, the date of Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

National Nurses Week celebrations first happened in October 1954 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea.

What Happens During National Nurses Week?

National Nurses Week acknowledges the work and contribution nurses make to society. In England, a service is held in Westminster Abbey. A symbolic lamp is passed from one nurse to another, signifying the giving of knowledge.

Facts About Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale
is considered the founder of professional nursing as we currently know it. This is because of her work during the Crimean War (1853-1856).

Nurses nowadays still use many of her nursing ideas and practices. For example, during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale came up with the revolutionary idea that wounded soldiers stood a better chance of recovering if their hospital surroundings were clean. She, therefore, cleaned the hospital from top to bottom and gave soldiers clean linen.

This was unheard of back then as it wasn’t known that there was a connection between germs and infection. Florence Nightingale thus showed how trained nurses are very important to hospitals and treating the sick.

She also had the idea of doing rounds to talk to her patients and comfort them. She even did the rounds at night that earned her the nickname of the ‘Lady with the Lamp’.

We have three Nurses who are based at Queenswood School, Nurse Gaudion, Nurse Bacon and Nurse Cornish.