We’ve been celebrating nurses this week and it’s fitting that Florence Nightingale’s birthday always marks the end of Nurses Week. Florence is legendary for being the pioneer of handwashing and hygiene. What is obvious today was not so obvious during her lifetime.
Her quote “Every nurse ought to be careful to wash her hands very frequently during the day. If her face, too, so much the better.” is as valid during this COVID-19 pandemic as it was more than 150 years ago. Thanks to Florence Nightingale, nurses have long understood the power of the simple technique of handwashing to reduce the transmission of infection.
Hopefully people across the globe will implement this simple strategy long after we’re no longer fighting COVID-19. Yes, washing our hands can create a healthier planet.
Thanks Florence Nightingale and happy birthday!
Be safe and stay healthy,
Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
P.S. Comment and share the handwashing techniques (or lack thereof) that horrify you.