Today we celebrate International Nurses Day. This day also marks the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and reminds us of the many facets of her career, her contributions to our nursing profession, and the pioneer she was. As nurses in healthcare design, we are also pioneers. We leverage the scientific knowledge we studied in school and apply those principles to our work in design. Our goals are to improve the healthcare environment through our work while we disseminate innovations and research evidence for all areas of healthcare design.
While many of us are not trained researchers, and the topic of research may sound intimidating, we can certainly contribute to the more significant body of healthcare design information and knowledge by documenting and sharing our findings just like Florence did. Florence took detailed notes regarding hospital
management, the causes of illness and death, and the impact of nurses and medical staff. She actively used this information to negotiate for improved hospital conditions, fair trade, and prices for medical goods. Her contributions influenced infection prevention, public health management, hospital design standards, and more.
