On her 200th birthday, Florence Nightingale’s legacy has never been more important

In 1860, regularly washing your hands and evidence-based practices revolutionised modern healthcare. Now, those same values are shaping the fight against coronavirus, writes Olivia Campbell

Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War (Getty)

Florence Nightingale was a trailblazing figure of modern nursing whose pioneering ideas and reforms, from notions of cleanliness and hygiene to the effectiveness of evidence-based healthcare, are just as relevant today as they were 160 years ago.

Today, two centuries since the birth of the “lady with the lamp” – so-called for tending to wounded soldiers at night during the Crimean War – the world faces another crisis. The global death toll of coronavirus stands at nearly 300,000, with hospitals and care homes pushed to their limits. As doctors, nurses and scientists race to turn the tide against the virus, some of the principles Nightingale championed in 1860 are the very weapons that will help us eliminate it.

“Today, her legacy can be found in nursing standards and hospital design principles worldwide,” explains Kristin Buhnemann, assistant director at the Florence Nightingale Museum. “She remains an inspiration to healthcare professionals around the world, which is vitally important during times like these.”