Texas Woman’s University acquired a Florence Nightingale collection of 350 items, expanding its archives for nursing, history and health informatics research, according to a news release from the university.
The overview
The acquisition was acquired May 14 and books, letters, ephemera and artifacts connected to Nightingale will be on display, including first editions of "Notes on Nursing" in multiple languages.
University officials said the materials highlight her work in advancing hospital sanitation, patient care and data-driven health practices during the Crimean War, where she helped reduce soldier mortality rates.
"This collection paints a fuller picture of this complex woman who founded what we now know as professional nursing and allow us to do a lot of storytelling," said Stephanie Woods, dean of Texas Woman’s University’s College of Nursing. "This will be the first significant collection specific to nursing for TWU."
The background
Nightingale, born in 1820 in Florence, Italy, wrote more than 150 works and is widely credited with shaping modern nursing and health informatics through her use of statistical analysis, according to the release.
TWU acquired the collection from school alumnus Tony Paterniti, a nurse and longtime educator whose interest in Nightingale began in 1980. The collection was previously displayed at TWU’s Blagg-Huey Library from 2016-24.
Looking ahead
Officials said the collection is one of seven major Nightingale collections in the United States and may be featured in future traveling exhibits across TWU's campuses.
Dean of Libraries Suzanne Sellers said the collection will be available to researchers immediately. The collection also is open to the public, said Matt Flores, assistant vice president of communications at TWU.
