The Florence Nightingale approach: still a template for nursing today

Each year around the globe, International Nurses' Day is celebrated on 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. This year is particularly special because the anniversary falls during the World Health Organization's International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, which has been extended into 2021.

Through Nightingale's creation of a school for nursing and her writings, she set the direction for developing standards of practice for nursing care, along with establishing the development of nursing as a professional and respected career for women. She was a determined nursing leader who created visionary changes at a time when women were only beginning to be acknowledged for their contributions to society. She was a passionate advocate of education for nurses.

As a leader, Nightingale demonstrated courage as she took great risks in order to instigate change. She had the capability to communicate that there was a need for reform and was at the forefront of providing improved healthcare and education. She showed particular devotion to the treatment of women and children.