Today, 12 May, is International Nurses' Day, to note the contribution made by nurses. It is also the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
Florence Nightingale is probably one of the best known nurses, in particular for her work in the Crimea. Less well known, and yet making much the same contribution at the same time, was Mary Seacole, the daughter of a Scottish army officer and a Jamaican mother. While Florence Nightingale set up hospitals to tend the soldiers of the Crimea, Mary went to the battlefields themselves to give more immediate help to the wounded.
She returned to England and wrote her memoirs "The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands". In spite of this book, and the help of her many supporters, she has never had widespread recognition.
i heard from my sister, you cant be a nurse unless you know Florence Nightingale hehe.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of Mary before, I will ask my stepmom who is a nurse if she knew her! Thank you for telling some new aspects to the International Nurses Day!
ReplyDelete@Strawberry Princess, I suppose your sister must be a nurse, is she?
ReplyDelete@Marcie, it's taken me all this time to manage to publish the post! A day late. :(
Well, I've been an RN for 45 years but I never heard of Mary Seacole. It sounds like she is well deserving of accolades for serving right in the nitty gritty of it!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing information about Mary Seacole! It's too bad her contribution has been ignored.
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