Abstract
The most challenging aspect of writing an editorial for an international audience is offering an opinion that will hold relevance to all. With International Nurses’ Day (IND) looming (12 May 2009), this seemed like an ideal starting point. Delving deeper into the history behind IND, I realized that it was cloaked in controversy. It is celebrated around the world on 12 May, as that is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale – considered widely as the founder of modern nursing. However, it seems that frustration grew with having Florence Nightingale as a role model; being white, middle class and Protestant were not in keeping with the multicultural nature of modern nursing. So, for example, public sector union, Unison, voted to ask nursing’s international body to move the day from Florence Nightingale’s birthday to another date. Unison suggested the day be celebrated on 21 May, the birthday of Elizabeth Fry who founded the Institution of Nursing Sisters several years before Ms Nightingale set up her own nursing team.
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