Before modern times, nuns and the military often provided nursing services. Evidence of the religious and military roots of modern nursing remain today. In Britain, senior female nurses are still known as “Sisters”. In recent times, the United States and Canada still have many nurses flowing back into working in religious fields through “Parish Nursing”.
These nurses work within a church community to perform health education, counseling and to provide referrals to support agencies. Parish nuring connects volunteers from the church community with people in need of assistance. New Zealand was the first country to regulate the nursing profession nationally. They adopted the Nurses Registration Act in 1901.
Florence Nightingale is regarded as the founder of modern nursing during the Crimean War. Her lasting contribution has been her role in founding the nursing profession. She set a shining example for nurses everywhere. The nursing profession still emulate her compassion, commitment to patient care and thoughtful hospital administration.
The work of the Nightingale School of Nursing still continues today. There is even a Florence Nightingale Museum in London and another museum devoted to her at her family home, Claydon House. The International Nurses Day is celebrated by the nursing community on her birthday each year.
There are several churches in the Anglican Communion commemorate Florence Nightingale with a feast day on their liturgical calendars. This continues her legacy in nursing. There are three hospitals in Istanbul named after Nightingale, further honoring her nursing career.
During the Vietnam War, the nursing stories of Florence Nightingale inspired many US Army nurses. The stories sparked a renewal of interest in her life and work in nursing. The Agostino Gemelli Medical Centre in Rome is the first university-based hospital in Italy.
One of the hospital’s most respected medical centers has honored Florence Nightingale’s contribution to the nursing profession by giving the name “Bedside Florence” to a wireless computer system it has developed to assist nursing.