Twenty-nine outstanding nurses from 19 countries have been awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal, which recognizes exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict or natural disaster. It also recognizes exemplary service or a pioneering spirit in the areas of public health or nursing education.
The awards were instituted in 1973 by Government of India as a mark of recognition for meritorious services rendered by nurses to the society. It is named after Florence Nightingale also known as 'The Lady With the Lamp'. She was an English social reformer and the founder of modern nursing.
