Nursing Week 2025 Spotlight: Honouring Icons of Nursing – From Florence to Canada’s Own Canadian Healthcare Education Network (CHEN)

Dr. Rosemary Kohr
May 10
2 min read

Nursing Week - Remembering Florence Nightingale

During Nursing Week 2025, we often think of Florence Nightingale, the “lady with the lamp”—and rightfully so. Her focus on improving the patient environment didn’t just reduce mortality rates; it revolutionized healthcare practice and shaped the very foundation of modern nursing.

portrait of florence nightingale in service circa 1860's — Portrait of Florence Nightingale in service

Florence didn’t just bring light to dark hospital wards—she illuminated a path forward. Her leadership turned nursing into a respected, evidence-based profession, grounded in care, observation, and advocacy.

florence nightingale in her old age around 96 years of age — Florence Nightingale at 96 years of age

Nursing Week - Remembering Moyra Allen

But here in Canada, we’ve had our own trailblazers too. Moyra Allen, for example, made a lasting impact on how we understand the role of nurses through the McGill Model of Nursing. Her work shifted the focus toward a strengths-based, developmental approach, emphasizing the collaborative relationship between nurse and patient—not just as care receiver, but as an active participant in their own health and learning.

Moyra Allen lecturing at mcgill university — Moyra Allen lecturing

Allen's model (also called “the Developmental Model of Nursing Care”) invites us to see patients and families as capable and engaged, and challenges us to support their growth, not just their recovery.