What Do Nurses Do?
What jobs do nurses do?
Nurses
Nursing is a profession. It takes years to train to be a nurse and involves lots of learning. Nurses are trained to take care of people when they are sick or injured and need to be looked after.
Some nurses work in hospitals, army bases, doctors’ surgeries or in people’s homes and some even in schools.
There are many different types of nurses. Nurses who work with children are called paediatric nurses.
International Nurses’ Day
International Nurses’ Day is a chance for people to think about the hard work and bravery of nurses around the world and to say thank you to them.
Since 1974, International Nurses’ Day has been celebrated on 12th May each year. This date was chosen because 12th May was the birthdate of a very famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.
Do you know anything about Florence Nightingale?
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was born on 12th May 1820 in the city of Florence, in Italy. This is how she got her name.
Florence knew that washing hands and good hygiene were important. She looked after many injured soldiers, helped make hospitals cleaner and taught lots of new nurses what to do.
Florence Nightingale trained nurses all over the world. She is a very famous nurse. She is known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ because she carried a lamp when she checked on her patients at night.
Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole is another famous nurse. She was born in 1805 in Jamaica. She travelled to help soldiers who had been wounded in the Crimean War, the same war that Florence Nightingale was nursing in.
Mary set up the ‘British Hotel’ hospital two miles away from the fighting. She made sure soldiers had food, drink and treatment for their injuries. Mary also travelled up to the front line, where the soldiers were fighting with supplies to help them. She treated soldiers from both sides, not just British soldiers.
Why do you think Mary Seacole treated soldiers from both sides of the war?
Why do you think Mary Seacole treated soldiers from both sides of the war?
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