Florence Nightingale importance of her later work in professionalising nursing roles for women. In 1860, Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas' Hospital in London. It was the first secular nursing school in the world, and is now part of King's College London. In recognition of her pioneering work in nursing, the Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses, and the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve, were named in her honour, and the annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on her birthday. Her social
Nursing in the United Kingdom a Royal College and a trade union. This dual role was the subject of debate in 2013, and there was a vote on dividing the RCN to form two organisations. 99.4% of voters did not want to divide. Other trade unions that represent healthcare workers are Unite the Union, UNISON and GMB. Royal College of Nursing is a membership organisation and trade union. The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) is a registered charity, which until the 1960s trained district nurses. Guild of Nursing – A newly formed body that aims to represent Nurses. The Florence Nightingale Foundation supports nurses and midwives