Today we all have assembled here to celebrate the nurse’s day in the remembrance of Miss Florence Nightingale the founder of modern nursing .Miss Florence Nightingale was born in Italy on12thof May 1820. She was the daughter of a wealthy landowner William Nightingale who taught her statistics, language, history and mathematics. Her father provided her reputable education which was uncommon for Victorian women of the time. At 17, she started to visit sick people at home.

In 1851 her father gave her permission to get formally trained as a nurse during Cremain war that happened between Turkey and Russia. In this war France and England were helping Turkey from 1854 -56. After the war British soldiers in Turkey started to die from cholera and malaria. At that time Russia and France were having religious sisters to take care for their wounded while England had only the trained men. At that time Florence Nightingale received a letter of appeal from the Minister of War, after which she took 38 nurses with her and went to the hospital were 5 to 6 patients were sharing one room. At night she used to carry a lamp while taking rounds from room to room to look after her patients.
This earned her the affectionate title lady with the lamp. Lamp lighting ceremony is an auspicious occasion in every nurses life with reverence to Florence Nightingale. Nursing is the only profession that follows lamp lighting ceremony. Here light not only symbolizes knowledge which removes ignorance and is a lasting wealth by which lots could be achieved but it also signifies the enlightenment, experience, hope, love, comfort and positivity driving away the negativity that darkens everything. The oath taken by every nursing professional signifies discharge of their duties with complete honesty, integrity and without any discrimination. It’s well said that if you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path and there are only two ways of spreading the light either to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. I salute all the Florences of our nation and wish you every Happy Nurses Day.

Author is a PG Community Health Nursing
Email:---------nazian876@gmail.com