Around the College
V
Nursing event honors Florence Nightingale’s life, career By Mikie Hayes, Public Relations
Nightingale’s approach to patient care, her procedures and principles are still relevant today, and her methodologies, impeccable. For instance, infection control, while not a term used in that day, was a major focus of her evidence-based research, as the death rate in her hospital was 40 percent. Ms. Nightingale greatly attributed the incidence to the environment, particularly, filth. Dr. McDonald
T
he MUSC College of Nursing
PhD, to attend the two-day celebration
hosted a multi-event celebration,
and address the more than 170
November 7–8, to honor the life
guests who attended and visited the
and accomplishments of Florence Nightingale, famed nursing pioneer,
exhibition. Dean Gail Stuart, introduced Dr.
philosopher of modern nursing,
McDonald, a former member of the
statistician, and social reformer of
Canadian Parliament and university
enormous scope and importance.
professor emerita at the University
An exhibition at the Charleston
of Guelph, Ontario, and described
Library Society featured nearly 20
the enormity of Dr. McDonald’s 16–
story-panels, on loan for the month
volume series based on Nightingale’s
from the University of Alabama,
collected works.
Birmingham, which highlighted
Dr. McDonald acquainted audiences
Nightingale’s life, as well as historical
with Ms. Nightingale’s conception of
items from the college’s archives,
nursing, her ideas, analyses, and the
including the college’s own framed
realities of nursing care during that
copy of the Nightingale Pledge;
time. Dr. McDonald states that Ms.
framed photographs of 11 uniform styles worn by MUSC students, 1886 to 1982; a Nightingale letter donated to the college by an alumnus; and nursing dolls, caps, pins and photographs. In an exciting turn of events, cochair of the college’s development committee, Kay Chitty, EdD, RN, arranged for world-renowned Nightingale expert, Lynn McDonald,
Left photo: Dr. McDonald displays a lamp used in the Florence Nightingale era Right photo: Copy of handwritten letter from Florence Nightingale that was donated by a CON alum
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Lifelines
SPRING | SUMMER 2014
described the filth in the wards and the water supply, lack of ventilation, vermin and soiled laundry. Ms. Nightingale is praised for addressing and improving the sanitary conditions of army hospitals. In her book, Florence Nightingale
At First Hand, Dr. McDonald reminds people that Ms. Nightingale, while a strong woman with opinions of her own, also had a sense of humor. For example, on what to boil for disinfection, Ms. Nightingale included: “…yourself and everything within reach, including the surgeon.” Ms. Nightingale left copious material on the war, according to