National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday. We may have heard of Florence Nightingale, but who was she?

 

Florence Nightingale was a trailblazing figure in nursing who greatly affected 19th- and 20th-century policies around proper care. From a young age, Nightingale was active in philanthropy, ministering to the ill and poor people in the village neighboring her family's estate. Nightingale eventually came to the conclusion that nursing was her calling; she believed the vocation to be her divine purpose. When Nightingale approached her parents and told them about her ambitions to become a nurse, they were not pleased and forbade her to pursue appropriate training. She went against her parents' wishes and received training. During her career she served soldiers during wartime and was credited with many advancements in the sanitary conditions for the ill. Nightingale dedicated her life to the nursing profession and became a figure of public admiration. Young women aspired to be like her. Eager to follow her example, even women from the wealthy upper classes started enrolling at training schools. Thanks to Nightingale, nursing was no longer frowned upon by the upper classes; it had, in fact, come to be viewed as an honorable vocation.

 

Floyd Valley Healthcare is proud to employ over 150 nurses, nurse aids, surgical techs and resident companions in 12 departments of the hospital. Whether you enter FVH for a clinic visit, the emergency department or for surgery, you are touched by nursing staff. Our patients are also served by nurses in departments you may not expect, such as education, diabetes education and quality assurance / utilization review.

 

Through programs with local high schools and colleges, students are able to receive practical education and experience in partnership with FVH staff. The knowledge learned during these exchanges is invaluable for those students. Together our nurses inspire, innovate and influence!