Florence Nightingale Foundation

The Florence Nightingale Foundation

Abbreviation	FNF
Formation	1934
Legal status	Charity registration: No. 229229 England & Wales, SC044341 Scotland Company limited by guarantee registration: No. 518623 England
Location	34 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH
Region served	United Kingdom
President	Mary Watkins, Baroness Watkins of Tavistock
Chairman	Bryan K Sanderson CBE
Royal Patron	Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy
Chief Executive	Professor Elizabeth Robb OBE
Website	http://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/

The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) is a charity organisation in the United Kingdom that provides scholarships to nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (AHPs) while serving as a living memorial of the work of Florence Nightingale.

History

In 1912 a memorial to Florence Nightingale was first proposed by Mrs Ethel Bedford Fenwick at an International Council of Nurses Congress in Cologne. The intention was to create a foundation to provide educational support for nurses. Due to the 1914-1918 War, it was not until 1929 that the memorial proposal was activated at the ICN Grand Council in Montreal. In 1931 the Florence Nightingale Memorial Committee proposed that the memorial foundation for Florence Nightingale should focus on the post-graduate education of nurses. In 1934 The Florence Nightingale Foundation developed as an independent Foundation based upon the same principles as the Memorial Committee and the Florence Nightingale International Foundation. The Florence Nightingale Foundation has since been a living memorial to her life by providing scholarships to post-graduate nurses, midwives and allied health professionals in the United Kingdom.

Current State

The work of The Foundation has developed and increased to become a voice for nursing across the UK. It has established pre-eminence in the field of scholarship and scholarly activity by the formation of several educational programmes, leadership development and clinical nursing research involvement. The latter includes the unique development of the Florence Nightingale Foundation Chairs in Clinical Nursing Practice Research.

Scholarships

The Foundation’s scholarships are designed to enhance the special contribution of nursing and midwifery to society. They promote innovation, advance knowledge and skills, and encourage international learning and understanding. The Foundation has three categories of scholarships:

• Travel scholarships are designed to enable the scholar to undertake a study of an aspect of practice and/or education in the UK or overseas.
• Research scholarships are provided to allow Nurses and Midwives to undertake a course in research methods, research modules or a dissertation/thesis as part of an academic course of study.
• Leadership scholarships are for experienced Nurses and Midwives, Healthcare Deans and Heads of Allied Health Professions.

Events and Activities

The Florence Nightingale Foundation hosts several events throughout the course of the year. These events are held annually such as The Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service at Westminster Abbey, The Florence Nightingale Foundation Annual Conference and Charity Gala Dinner.

The Florence Nightingale Foundation Annual Conference

The Florence Nightingale Foundation annual conference is a developmental conference for all nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals across all aspects of healthcare delivery. The event is a two-day conference which includes masterclasses, lectures, and networking. The inaugural conference was held in 2011 and continues to grow in size annually. The programme has also developed and now sees national and international speakers on its agenda.

Conference Theme History

• 2011 – In the Footsteps of Florence – Sharing Innovation, Delivering the Solutions
• 2012 - Sharing Innovation, Delivering the Solutions
• 2013 – Going for Gold: Inspirational Practice and Excellence in Care
• 2014 – Be Inspired, Be Energised, Be Motivated
• 2015 – What Good Looks Like: Leading Quality Care
• 2016 - Branching Out from Solid Roots

Each year masterclasses are run and focus on healthcare issues from across the board. Past masterclasses have included topics such as gang culture, depression, grief, and disaster relief - including the UK response to the Ebola outbreak and discussions on safe staffing levels in each of the 4 UK countries.

Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service – Westminster Abbey

A Commemoration Service is held in May of each year to celebrate Florence Nightingale. It is an opportunity to honour Florence on her birthday, 12 May, and to celebrate International Nurses Day. Central to the service is the Lamp which was given to the Foundation by Sir Dan Mason OBE in 1968 in memory of his mother Kathleen Dampier-Bennett, a Trustee and supporter of the Foundation. The Lamp is kept in the Florence Nightingale Chapel in Westminster Abbey. During the ceremony, a number of processions take place. Scholars of the Foundation process the Lamp to signify the knowledge of nursing and are escorted by student nurses signifying the transfer of knowledge to future generations. The Chelsea Pensioners process in memory of, and in gratitude to, Florence Nightingale for her care of the troops during the Crimean Campaign. The final procession is of the Nurses’ Roll of Honour which was compiled by the British Commonwealth Nurses War Memorial Fund and is also kept in the Florence Nightingale Chapel in the Abbey. It is carried to honour those killed in conflict and to underpin the links with military nursing and nurses who have lost their lives in the service of others.

Students’ Day

Students’ Day is an annual event in which students from each University in the UK that has a School of Nursing and Midwifery are invited to spend the day with the Foundation in London. The main venue for the day is The Governors’ Hall at St Thomas’ Hospital. The events are split into three segments: A morning plenary discussion session in which students are invited to raise questions or concerns with a panel of senior nurses and engage in professional debate, a tour of the Florence Nightingale Museum and a visit to the Florence Nightingale Chapel in Westminster Abbey, and attendance at the Annual Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service.

Presentation of Certificates

The Florence Nightingale Foundation Presentation of Certificates is held biannually and acts as a graduation ceremony for completed travel, research and leadership scholars. The event is an opportunity to celebrate the impact scholars work has had on patient care and services. In 2014 the Foundation’s patron Sir Robert Francis was the key note speaker and described Florence Nightingale scholars as the ‘future leaders of the profession’.

Alumni Association

In 2014, the Florence Nightingale Foundation launched a professional network of past scholars – an Alumni Association. Membership of the Association enables scholars to remain connected to the work of the Foundation, to engage with other scholars – virtually and face to face – to share their ideas, knowledge, and expertise, to continue to be associated with the Foundation and to give something back by raising funds and getting involved in mentoring current scholars.

References

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