She’s considered the founder of modern nursing and one of the most influential nurses of all time. So much has changed since the days that the “Lady with the Lamp,” Florence Nightingale, was a practicing nurse (for one thing, she wouldn’t need that lamp anymore!). It got us wondering: What’s been the biggest technological change since Flo’s era of nursing? We asked our Facebook fans which technology would amaze Flo the most if she visited a 2013 hospital. Check out your insightful responses and share your own thoughts in the comments section below!
The top 10 modern technologies that would shock Florence Nightingale!
1. Artificial hearts!
—June Crowe Fosnight
2. I think she would be most excited about the new roles nurses are playing in healthcare and research. Nursing today is so much more than just caring for the sick but finding the treatment and causes of their illnesses.
—Rhonda Lancaster Whitley
3. Probably computerized charting.
—Cindy Scannell Cunningham
4. I don’t know if it would amaze her, but I am sure the improvements in anesthetics and pain management would please her greatly.
—Donna Gush
5. Infection control and how many gloves we use in our daily lives…LOL!
—Tina Edwards Sheehan
6. CO2 detectors/monitors; remote telemetry; single patient rooms with many amenities; the many isolation levels and precautions; hand hygiene signs and reminders. So many to list…she would be proud and impressed!
—Lacresha Hearn
7. The smart room technology! Not having to type in vital signs…just press a button and it’s transmitted into the computer!
—Tiffany WarEagle Morrison
8. Being the author of environmental theory and the Lady with the Lamp, she’d be amazed by ventilators, vacuum cleaners, sterilizing solutions, autoclaves and flashlights, and even fluorescent lights!
—Ann Enriquez
9. Air-conditioning. She might want to inspect the filters, etc., but I think she’d approve. She’d also approve of the not cranky, not sweaty nurses!
—Maureen Evers
10. I think she would be most amazed at the autonomy of today’s nurses…the hard work and dedication to our education, not just to following orders. I know that’s not “technology,” but it’s advancement! She would be proud of us.
—Heather Sowerbutts
What modern technology do YOU think would amaze Florence Nightingale the most?
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