Florence Nightingale’s Influence on Medicine & Nursing in the United States

Discover how the Mother of Nursing influenced medical care in the United States before and after the Civil War.

On May 11 at 11:00 AM at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, join Professor of nursing William T. Campbell as he explores the Florence Nightingale’s influence on medicine in the United States. What better way to celebrate National Nurses Week and Florence Nightingale’s birthday?

While Florence Nightingale is often called the Mother of Nursing, the reality is she did not ever journey to the United States to serve in any care-giving role. For having such a lofty title, one must wonder how extensive her influence was over nursing in the United States if she never visited. Professor Campbell will uncover how that was possible.

The program will investigate these questions both during the Civil War period and for the following decade. We will look at her role in both healthcare and in nursing, how she influenced both from abroad, what that influence was, and how it shaped healthcare and nursing in the coming decade (and well beyond). Nightingale also had an important role in several lasting traditions and made early use of evidence based practice. We will assess her use of leadership, education, political action, and statistics – all unusual for a women or a medical professional of her time. We will also examine one of the foundations of the nursing profession – the Lady with the Lamp.

The program begins at 11:00 AM in the Delaplaine Randall Conference Room in the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. The event is included with museum admission and free for NMCWM members.

William T. Campbell, Ed.D, RN has a Doctor of Education from the University of Delaware, a Master of Science in Family Nursing from Salisbury University, and undergraduate degrees in Nursing, Psychology, and Biology from the University of Delaware. He completed pre-pharmacy studies at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science. An Associate Professor in the Nursing Department at Salisbury University in Salisbury Maryland he teaches in the pediatrics, pharmacology, and nursing history courses. He has served as a volunteer docent at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum on the grounds of Antietam Battlefield and as a frequent speaker for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.