International Nurses Day is held on the 12th May each year which is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. On this day, we honour Florence Nightingale's legacy and the contributions of nurses worldwide. Her commitment to compassionate care, innovation, and advocacy continues to inspire nurses to make a difference in the lives of their patients and communities.
Florence Nightingale was more than just a nurse – she was a visionary leader who transformed healthcare. She was born in 1820 in Florence, Italy. This is how she got her name. Florence became a nurse despite coming from a wealthy family. Her passion for helping others led her to work tirelessly to improve conditions for the sick and injured.
During 1800s many people died in hospitals from infections due to unclean conditions. During the Crimean War in the 1850s, Florence Nightingale and her team of nurses helped in the military hospitals. She introduced basic hygiene practices like handwashing to patient care. Her emphasis on cleanliness drastically reduced the spread of disease and saved countless lives.
After the war, she used her influence to turn nursing into an important job and make hospitals better. She founded the first nursing training school in the world.She wrote books so that nurses could be trained and pioneered the establishment of professional nursing standards.
We are especially proud of our NHS Grampian Clinical Research Nurses. Clinical research nurses play an important role in delivering clinical research, and ultimately improving patient care and treatment pathways. They usually are the first point of contact with the research participants. Being nurses by heart and training they support patients throughout their participation in clinical trials and ensure that they are treated ethically and safely.