Florence Nightingale Service
13 May 2009 at 6:30 pm
Florence Nightingale’s life and work remembered
Annual service celebrating nursing profession
Florence Nightingale’s life and work will be commemorated with a special service on 13 May at 6.30pm. Nurses, midwives, health visitors and government ministers will be amongst those attending the service which is held annually at Westminster Abbey.
The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall will lead the service.
A lamp – symbolic of Florence Nightingale – will be taken from the Nurses’ Chapel during the service and escorted by a procession of nurses to the Dean who places it on the High Altar. This year for the first time, student nurses from ten Scottish universites (Caledonian, Queen Margaret, Stirling, Dundee, Abertay, West of Scotland, Napier, Glasgow, Robert Gordon’s and Edinburgh) will escort the lamp. The Nurses’ Roll of Honour listing nurses who gave their lives in the Second World War is carried by Squadron Leader Charlotte Thompson, RAF, and escorted by the Matrons-in-Chief of the Armed forces. The Book is handed to the Dean who places it on the altar. The Chelsea Pensioners also attend in recognition of Florence Nightingale’s work to reform the armed forces.
Lessons will be read by The Lord Leitch and Professor Dame Christine Beasley DBE, Chief Nursing Officer (England).
The Nurses’ Chapel will be open to visit before the service.
Tickets are available from The Florence Nightingale Foundation