This year marks the centennial year of Florence Nightingale‘s death.  Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) is the founder of modern nursing.  Her contributions to nursing theory, education, practice, research, statistics, public health, and healthcare reform are foundational and inspirational and allow me to do what I do today.  She was a health care advocate to influenced leaders of her time.  She impacted public awareness and changed how people understood and valued health.

Not only was Florence Nightingale a patient advocate, she was also an advocate for nurses and nursing.  She asked that we continually be renewed to sustain our effective, compassionate, and caring practices (something I need to do more of).

This year a grassroots organization has come to honor nurses, our values and wisdom, and to act as catalysts for achieving a healthy world.  There are estimated to be more than 15 million of us.

International Year of the Nurse, has set out 8 goals.

1.  Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV, AIDS, malaria, and all communicable/noncommunicable diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a global partnership for development

To learn more go to 2010iynurse.net