Queen’s Nurse Helen Lewis reflects on the experience of attending Westminster Abbey for the 60th service held for the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
The Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service held at Westminster Abbey has been a staple addition to the annual nursing calendar every year since 1965, with just one cancellation during the Covid pandemic in 2020, and a change of venue to St Paul’s Cathedral following the coronations of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The service held on 12 May remembers Commonwealth nurses and midwives who made the ultimate sacrifice during both the First and Second World Wars and now includes remembrance for those who supported the Covid-19 pandemic. This year it was an opportunity to remember our Ukrainian nursing and midwifery colleagues who have remained in Ukraine throughout the war to care for those to frail, injured and pregnant women. I am sure we can all recall the scenes from the maternity hospital in Mariupol in 2022 that was bombed and the devastation it caused not only to the hospital but the lives of those within it.
At the 60th Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service, I was very fortunate and privileged to attend for my first time. A unique atmosphere filled Westminster Abbey, with nurses and midwives catching up with colleagues, arriving to the subtle music of the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra directed by Captain Alexandra Nixon (pictured above).
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The service began with the procession of the Florence Nightingale Foundation officers – Dame Yvonne Moore DBE, Dame Ruth May DBE, Kay D’Cruz, treasurer, and Mr David Hulf, honorary vice president. Earlier, prior to the service, I had the briefest of conversations with Dame Ruth, which also resulted in a photo opportunity!
The procession of the clergy was accompanied by the first hymn, followed by a welcome and bidding prayer by the Reverend David Stanton who encouraged the congregation to celebrate the work, commitment, compassion and excellence that nurses display in the 21st century from the legacy left by Florence Nightingale. Nursing is based on the determination to constantly strive for the improvement of patient care, to shape the way of learning and to improve training that may shape the gift we leave to future nurses.
The chief nursing officer for Ukraine read the first lesson, Isaiah 61:1-3, which talks about forgiveness, liberation and mourning.
The chief nursing officer for Ukraine, Dr Kateryna Komar, read the first lesson, Isaiah 61:1-3, which talks about forgiveness, liberation and mourning. This was followed by the second lesson read by The Right Honourable Wes Streeting our Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which interpreted for me the care that nurses across the sectors offer to strangers and the impact that this has on a person’s life and wellbeing.
At this stage of the ceremony, the lamp, representing Florence Nightingale’s association as the Lady with the Lamp, remains on a small tablet in-front of the grave of the unknown soldier. The lamp itself is a significant part of the ceremony, and this year was carried by Lieutenant commander Su Jeffreys RN, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Services. She was supported by alumni of the Florence Nightingale leadership programme and, in the spirit of the celebration, student nurses and midwives from Anglia Ruskin University, along with members of the range of international nurses represented in the Abbey.
One of those accompanying the lamp, Claire, was from Wales, which added an extra level of pride for me that our little nation was represented both in the naïve and procession.
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Once the lamp reached the high altar in the abbey, prayers were offered to reinforce that nursing is a calling to serve the sick and injured and passed on from generation to generation.
We should all remember the dedication of this profession that has stood the test of time
In the 21st century and with the heavy demands of the health service, this may seem to be somewhat of a less achievable goal – but I found myself reflecting on how nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and students continue to turn up day in day out – we only have to look back at the pandemic to witness the dedication of colleagues who worked under the most stressful situations, unable to recognise colleagues due to the wearing of PPE, taking breaks in cupboards and leaving work exhausted only to return for their next shift time and time again. General practice was filled with clinicians working in rooms unable to meet each other, together and yet so far apart, working in isolation to triage patients who were frightened what the pandemic meant for them and their loved ones – and yet nurses turned up every day.
In this era of challenges, we should all remember the dedication of this profession that has stood the test of time, and will continue to do so into the future.
And my conclusions from being present at such an impactful occasion, with cause to reflect on our important contributions to healthcare? Be kind to each other, welcome students who are anxious about the demands of becoming a nurse, and if we do one more thing in our careers, for us to leave a legacy that those coming behind us will continue with pride, just as Florence Nightingale did.
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Helen Lewis is a Queen’s Nurse, advanced clinical practitioner (MSc), independent prescriber, RM (BA (Hons), RGN (Adult), BSc (Hons), GPN SPQ (Minor illness). She is a member of the Nursing in Practice advisory board.
