On Monday 12 May, International Nurses Day, we will host the 60th Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service to be held at Westminster Abbey. On that day, over 2,000 invited guests will join us to remember Florence Nightingale.
About the Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service
The annual Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service is a important day in the FNF calendar and, indeed, for nursing and midwifery communities worldwide. On this day, we come together to give thanks and to celebrate nurses and midwives everywhere who continue Florence Nightingale’s legacy today. But what happens at the service, and why is it such a special event?
The Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service is an opportunity to gather to pause, reflect, and rededicate ourselves to our professions on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, 12 May 1820.
Central to the Commemoration Service is the Lamp. Florence Nightingale was known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ as she made her rounds at night tending to the soldiers wounded in the Crimean War.
During the Commemoration Service, a burning lamp will be carried through the Abbey by a chosen FNF Scholar. It will be placed on the altar to represent ‘the undying spirit of the service displayed by Florence Nightingale, demonstrated by nurses and midwives today. The current lamp was first used for the service in 1970, the 150th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The Lamp Carrier will be followed by two Lamp Escorts, who lead a procession of other esteemed Scholars of the Foundation, followed by student nurses and midwives. This signifies the transfer of nursing and midwifery knowledge to future nurses and midwives.
The Rolls of Honour
We will remember nurses and midwives through the years in three rolls of honour to be carried through the Abbey during the Service:
The First Word War 1914-1918 Roll of Honour is introduced this year to remember the 162 nurses who lost their lives in the First World War. The Bearer of the Roll is Captain Chloe Brahmbhatt QARANC.
The Commonwealth Nurses Second World War 1939-1945 Roll of Honour was compiled by the British Commonwealth Nurses’ War Memorial Fund to remember the nurses who lost their lives during the Second World War. The Bearer of the Roll is Flight Sergeant Hannah Downs, PMRAFNS, Registered Nurse. She is escorted by the three military Chief Nursing Officers.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Roll of Honour was introduced in 2022 to remember the nurses, midwives, nursing associates and health care support workers who courageously and selflessly provided care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is carried through the Abbey by the Deputy CNO for Wales, Gillian Knight, escorted by the Chief Nursing Officer for England and CNO representation from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Rolls of Honour are kept in the Florence Nightingale and Nurses’ Chapel in Westminster Abbey.
In addition to observing these historic and poignant processions, over 2,000 guests will hear reflections, biddings and prayers read by Officers and friends of FNF.
We welcome global and UK-based representatives from across all nursing and midwifery organisations and communities to the Service, sponsors and supporters of the charity, our recently graduated Scholars, alumni who have attended our leadership programmes in the past twelve months, and FNF Academy Members.
Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service Sponsor
“We are incredibly proud to be supporting the Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service at Westminster Abbey to mark International Nurses Day. This is not only in recognition of the vital role nurses and midwives play in the care of patients, but a symbol of our longer term partnership to FNF and our shared goal of elevating the influence of the profession through training, education and leadership. While today is a welcome opportunity to reflect on the skill, dedication and compassion within our community, we know that nurses and midwives across the world are working every day to advance the care of their patients, regardless of the spotlight.”
Kathryn Hornby, Chief Nursing Executive at HCA Healthcare UK
Our Lamp Carrier and Escorts
We are delighted to share with you details of this year’s Lamp Carrier and Lamp Escorts, chosen from our recently graduated FNF Scholars.
Lt Cdr Su Jeffreys is a Critical Care Nursing Officer in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service. She has completed tours in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone during her career, as well as sailing on HMS Queen Elizabeth on the carrier’s inaugural deployment as Senior Nursing Officer for the Role 2 Surgical team. She is co-Chair of the FNF Innovation & Entrepreneurship Subject Expert Group.
“I am extremely honoured to represent my fellow military nurses at this prestigious event. Having the eyes of everyone in the abbey on me is a little daunting but I will walk with immense pride.
When I finished my leadership scholarship in 2024, I realised it was just the start of a new chapter in my career. My passion is teaching and mentoring in innovation, and being co-Chair of the FNF Innovation SEG has given me the opportunity to pass on my knowledge and experience in innovation to fellow nurses & midwives. FNF has helped me get the message out that innovation is for everyone.”
Farrah Amjad is currently employed by Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust as a Blended Roles Facilitator. She bridges the gap between district nurses and carers from both care homes and home care providers. Farrah focuses on teaching and training carers to perform basic health tasks that can be delegated to them. The blended roles programme has gained national recognition, particularly for its success in the delegation of insulin administration
“I am deeply honoured to have been asked to escort the lamp at the Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service this year. As a proud nurse from an ethnic background, I hope to represent my community and all the diverse individuals who make up the nursing workforce.
During my scholarship journey, I was awarded the Ann Shuttleworth Rising Star at the Nursing Times Awards, in 2023. My work was also shortlisted for three national awards, and I was also interviewed by ITV Granada Reports and the BBC Northwest for my charity work. The scholarship has truly given me the self-confidence I needed to become a better leader. The past two years have been the best of my career, with the scholarship playing a significant role in accelerating my success.“
Chelsie Sills qualified as a Registered Nurse in 2013 and is currently the Lead Nurse for Vulnerabilities at King’s College London NHS Foundation Trust. She has been instrumental to the development of a new model of care which takes a holistic, trauma-informed approach to addressing the needs of vulnerable adults in acute hospital settings.
“It is a real honour to have been asked to participate in the Commemoration Service as ‘lamp escort.’ Having attended the service as a student in 2013, it’s a real full circle moment and an occasion to celebrate my career and achievements as a nurse. I expect this experience to be an opportunity to reflect on the impact of nursing amongst peers who are equally passionate about making a difference.
One of the most memorable moments for my FNF Scholarship was attending the Eden Nature of Leadership Course. Surrounded by nature, I found the space to pause, listen and truly understand the kind of leader I want to be. It clarified, for me, the need for connection and presence and its importance within leadership.”
Students’ Day
We also host an FNF Students’ Day on the same day as the Commemoration Service. This is a unique opportunity for student nurses and midwives from across the UK, to network with peers and established leaders, learn from our educational programme, participate in debates, and celebrate our professions. Attendees then go on from the event, to attend the Commemoration Service. Students’ Day highlights the importance of the transfer of knowledge and innovation from one generation to the next. This year’s Students’ Day is kindly sponsored by Anglia Ruskin University and HCA Healthcare UK.
We will be sharing a news story about Student’s Day along with photos after the event, so please do look out for it.
Thank you to our Students' Day Sponsors
