The 12th May is a special day for us here at Hospice, we get to pay tribute to some really special people of the world. This is the birthday of the famous Florence Nightingale, the icon of nursing, who has inspired so many to follow in her gentle footsteps.
Indeed, we could go further back than Florence Nightingale, back 15,000 years in fact. We could actually argue that “nurses” gave birth to civilization! Margaret Mead famously suggested this, explaining that an ancient healed femur was the first evidence of civilization. It was proof that somebody cared and nursed someone back to health at their sacrifice.
Imagine if you will, how life was 15,000 years ago. Constant threat, danger and a never ending search for basic human needs with limited tools. Someone with a broken leg could easily be left to fend for themselves, defenceless against predators, thirst and hunger. To be immobile long enough to heal, there needed to be a nurse. Probably a Hospice nurse, as they would have had discussions about mortality risk, and provided comfort in this environment as well.
The world has changed, and we too often take civilization for granted. How blessed we are to be able to receive care because of a full wallet or a medical aid? How blessed are we to receive Hospice care without expectation of payment. What an amazing world that dictates healthcare as a human right. All started by a nurse, years ago dressed in animal skins.
How proud we are of our team, dressed now in uniform and supported by doctors and incredible medical science and medications. Yet still delivering the best traits of human beings, reminding the world that true hero’s do the important things. Not the big flashy things, the small and ever so meaningful things because they know, to care is to be human!
Thanks to our team, and nurses all over the planet for your amazing service to humanity, we pay tribute today, and every day for your incredible work.
Read more about Margaret Mead’s theory here
