Original Letters Handwritten by Florence Nightingale on View at NLN's Annual Education Summit

Historic Exhibit Created by Gannett Healthcare Group Honors Centennial of Nightingales Death in 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY — September 1, 2010 — Attendees at the upcoming 2010 Annual Education Summit of the National League for Nursing in Las Vegas are in for a rare treat: they will have the opportunity to view a display of two original letters by the woman known as the Founder of Modern Nursing, written in her own hand.

Penned in 1861, a year after she established the worlds first secular school of nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London, they offer a window into Ms. Nightingales heart and mind at the apex of her remarkable career. Both letters are addressed to Sir Joshua Jebb, a military engineer and the surveyor-general of British royal prisons. In one, dated July 23, 1861, Ms. Nightingale writes, "Anything which can be done, to bring into the field a higher class of persons, is most desirable…"

The display, which also features photos and additional explanatory text and memorabilia, has been created by Gannett Healthcare Group, publisher of the magazines Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek, and the online site, Nurse.com. It honors the centennial of Ms. Nightingales death at 90 in 1910. This year has also been designated the International Year of the Nurse. Every year, International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12, the day Ms. Nightingale was born.

The Nightingale Letters Exhibit will be open during the Presidents Reception, Saturday, October 2, 5:30-6:30 pm.

Registration Questions: For all registration questions regarding the NLN Education Summit 2010, please contact NLN Summit Registration at 800-321-6338.

Reporters/Editors: To attend or cover any portion of the 2010 Education Summit or to arrange advance interviews, please contact Karen Klestzick, chief communications officer, at 212-812-0376 or kklestzick@nln.org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 32,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.