Organised by the Italian Nurses Association and the European Association for the History of Nursing, in Florence, the city where Florence Nightingale’s was born, the conference gathered nurses, historians, civil and political authorities from national & EU level, to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s Bicentennial discussing on the history of nursing, and highlighting current research across a wide field of endeavour.
Invited as keynote speaker the EFN Secretary General stressed the “Nursing History strengthened by EU Legislation” and how still nowadays Florence Nightingale’s work, as statistician and lobbyist, is still influencing EU politics with nursing data, and how most of her legacy is what EFN is still fighting for at the EU level today. Directive 2013/55/EU, Proportionality Directive, European Social Pillar, Sharps Injuries’ Directive, are some examples of concrete legislative outcomes EFN has pushed forward with positive outcomes.
Known for her political engagement, working behind-the-scenes for the nursing profession to improve sanitarian conditions and for women’s rights, she was also the first one, 150 years ago, to foster patient empowerment – encouraging patients to be the managers of their own health – people-centred healthcare ecosystems EU priority.