Florence Nightingale (center) with Sir Harry Verney, Mary Crossland (back row, center) and nurses from the Nightingale Training School in 1886
Photo Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection
Florence Nightingale’s pioneering work as a nurse created a legacy that continues to shape modern health care. It’s only fitting, then, that since 1974 International Nurses Day has been celebrated on her birthday, May 12.
Born in 1820, Nightingale defied societal expectations to pursue what she believed was a divine calling: to care for the sick. Her groundbreaking work during the Crimean War transformed filthy, overcrowded military hospitals into cleaner, safer environments, dramatically reducing death rates.
Known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” she became a symbol of hope, compassion and scientific rigor, and her influence extended far beyond the battlefield. She wrote more than 200 works on health, founded the Nightingale Training School in 1860 and helped establish nursing as a respected profession.
Today, that legacy resonates more than ever. Across the U.S., the nursing workforce faces unprecedented strain, with projections showing a shortage of more than 63,720 full-time registered nurses by 2030. Florida faces a shortage of at least 16,000 nurses, prompting significant state action. Earlier this year, Florida announced more than $20 million in new investments for nursing education programs. The funding supports the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) and the Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) initiatives, both launched in 2022. Over the last four years, these programs have received more than $485 million to expand training opportunities and strengthen the nursing workforce.
National data shows Florida ranks last when it comes to nurses passing the licensing boards — a critical problem, along with workforce shortfalls, that this funding aims to remedy.