Florence Nightingale tribute at Jordan Hospital, Plymouth

Last fall when I was waiting for my car that had been valet parked at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth where I had taken my Dad for bloodwork, I asked about the old hospital building that was having construction work done on it. The young man told me under the portico of the old building there was a brick from Florence Nightingales home in England. As a nurse, I was intrigued, but didn't have time to go look.

 My 95 year old Dad was taken by ambulance early last Saturday morning to Jordan Hospital in Plymouth. The day after the snow storm leaving the hospital it was sunny and the snow had melted and I decided to go and see if I could find the Nightingale brick. I never would have know that this brick was there, and others that I have mentioned it to never knew the brick was there.

I found the area with the brick with no problem. The brick as you can see is nothing special..just a plain brick, but I was glad that I went to see it. Why, I don't know...other than it brought back memories of my nurse capping ceremony from Sheperd Gill Nursing School, Newbury St, Boston, 1967. Each nursing student in the class carried a small, white, ceramic Florence Nightingale lamp with a candle. The white lamps are hard to see because they blend in with the white aprons of our uniforms. I am in the 3rd row from the front, the blonde 4th from the right. The uniforms were okay but those bibs were heavily startched and very stiff that we wore everyday.

My Dad was discharged home yesterday,and he looks good but will continue on antibiotics for another week. Dad was happy to be back home with my Mom as he worried about her constantly because she was home with round the clock caregivers. I checked in on Mom twice a day, once before going to visit with my Dad, and then before going home. The sad thing is my Mom who has Alzheimer's never realized he wasn't home. 

Have a great weekend everyone. For the next several days we are suppose to get a lot of rain. 

Elaine