The Return of the Nightingale Project
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Passion for Compassion! Pass It On!
The Return of the Nightingale™ Project was created and designed by our good friends and nursing colleagues Jill L. Schumacher BSN, MS, BD, DNM, and Meredith A McCord BSN, MS, BD, DNM. This Project evolved with the primary focus of appreciating, honoring, celebrating, strengthening nurses; therefore, supporting the culture of caring within the nursing profession. It was inspired by the life, the writings and work of the “Founder of Modern Nursing”—Florence Nightingale.
There are several distinct components of the Project that revolve around highlighting the attributes of the nurse. Many of these attributes are included in Florence Nightingale’s writings. These components include the Nurse Commemorative Coin Series—Nurse-Themed Songs with lyrics that are woven with the imagery on each coin—Nurse Prayer Beads, with a Portable Canvas Walking Labyrinth with nurse attributes printed upon the path—educational Nurse Attribute Learning Maps—and a Flight Migration Program. The design and production of the Nurse Commemorative Coins with Florence Nightingale on the obverse side (front) of the coins was the first component of the project. There are currently fourteen beautifully engraved, heirloom quality coins with images, symbols and attributes honoring nurses on the reverse side of each of the coins. They are minted in bronze, fine silver and silver-gold. Nurse-themed Songs were written and recorded for each coin with a whispered “Nightingale” as the final signature sound. |
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These coins are envisioned to be given to nurses as gifts, honorariums, “tokens of appreciation”, representing shared connection to the heritage of nursing. Recipients have expressed feeling reconnected to the origins of their purpose in becoming a nurse, their “Beginnings”, strengthening a sense of commitment. Nurses have responded with tears of gratitude, “You know who I am.”
The 'Nurse Attribute Learning Maps' were developed as a guide to facilitate nurse engagement in a practice dialogue exploring the attributes of the nurse. “What they are; what they are not.” Seed monies from the project are earmarked for nursing research to examine the attributes of the nurse, using the learning maps as the impetus for further exploration. |
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The Walking Meditation for the Nurse Attribute Labyrinth and related Nurse Attribute Prayer Beads were designed to create activities and opportunities for the nurse to focus and facilitate the embodiment of these attributes. Nurses using the prayer beads and nurses walking the labyrinth have expressed feeling a sense of deep connection to their heart and soul of nursing. |
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The 'Flight Migration Program' was created to support nurses receiving “a token of appreciation” from “Ambassadors” of the Return of the Nightingale™ Project. The coins have traveled to many areas in the world, given to nurses. Our dream is that every nurse, regardless of where they live, could receive a coin and hear the words “Thank You for Being a Nurse”. Through this connection of receiving a coin, they feel the support of a vast network of nurses as they are dedicated to caring and impacting the health of their families, their communities, their countries. This suggested message has been shared—already—in ceremonies across the world.
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“Please receive this coin as a token of appreciation and know that you are not alone. You are of a long lineage of nurses caring for Humankind. May this gesture of honor and deep gratitude help renew your body and spirit and keep you strong; strengthen and renew your clarity of purpose in your role as Nurse.”
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Of their efforts Jill and Meridith have recalled that this Project has ‘inspired us and many others to take action to keep our beloved nurses and nursing profession strong in the arts and sciences of caring for humankind.” Left image: Nurses who have been honored with Nightingale Coins in Sarejevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. |
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Message from Jill
“Creating and evolving this project has been a great privilege and honor. The inspiration and guidance through this journey have always felt divinely orchestrated. When I selected images for the coins or wrote the songs, I knew that I was being mentored by a force beyond my everyday self. In a way, the songs all but wrote themselves. I knew that this project could make a difference in the lives of nurses by emphasizing the importance of appreciation and the power of celebration. I have not been disappointed!” Message from Meredith “This project has been an exciting and rewarding journey. My soul is filled with such gratitude as I have witnessed the emotional responses of nurses receiving and giving the Nurse Commemorative coins. The look on nurse’s faces as they are honored has been truly humbling.” |
Jill L. Schumacher & Meredith A. McCord
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Jill & Meredith’s Message
“The times when we were confronted with the challenges in bringing this dream to reality, we asked ourselves “What would Florence do?” We persevered. It was and is the experiences of nurses receiving a “token of appreciation” that has kept us strong in our pursuits. We have much more work to do to bring this project to full expression and we are Inspired! ”
“The times when we were confronted with the challenges in bringing this dream to reality, we asked ourselves “What would Florence do?” We persevered. It was and is the experiences of nurses receiving a “token of appreciation” that has kept us strong in our pursuits. We have much more work to do to bring this project to full expression and we are Inspired! ”
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'Calling All Nightingales' Song
written by Jill L. Schumacher |
‘We are in deep gratitude to nurses Everywhere! Thank You for Being a Nurse!
Please join us in Celebrating Nurses and Nursing in the 2020 International Year of the Nurse & the Midwife!” |
All images provided by Jill L. Schumacher and Meredith A. McCord, used with permission.