Director of Nursing and Quality Tracey Wrench carries the lamp!
On 11 May, the Florence Nightingale Foundation held its annual commemoration service for the renowned nurse who is now considered the founder of modern nursing.
Director of Nursing and Quality at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Tracey Wrench, was the ceremonial lamp-holder this year, which makes her the first Learning Disability nurse to have held the lamp.
The words spoken by all attending during the ‘Procession of the Lamp’ were “May this lamp signify our sacred calling to serve the sick and injured, which was heard and answered by Florence Nightingale, passed on from generation to generation, and received with gladness and humility by us today”.
Florence Nightingale was a nurse during the Crimean War who, after seeing the appalling conditions of the hospitals, alongside the inexperience of contemporary nurses and their subsequent inability to properly care for their patients, spent the rest of her life lobbying tirelessly for hospital cleanliness standards to be improved and for nurses to be more consistently trained in order to improve survival and recovery rates.
Tracey said of the service: “The Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service is held every year to celebrate Florence’s contribution to the nursing profession, especially her commitment to education, research and service improvement.
“Westminster Abbey is a resplendent place with an atmosphere that supports both celebration and reflection. The choir and speeches were thought provoking. It was a real honour to carry the lamp down Westminster Abbey as part of the ceremony and lead the procession.
“This ritual symbolises the transfer of knowledge and practice from nurse to nurse. I am really proud to be a nurse and to have been part of this event has been one of the highlights of my nursing career.”
The Foundation describes itself as a ‘living memorial’ to Florence Nightingale, and seeks to continue her work in advancing the study of nursing, and promoting the special contributions of nursing to society. It also raises funds for nursing and midwifery scholarships both at home and abroad, and encourages international understanding and shared practice between nurses and midwives.