Florence Nightingale,
the Woman Who Built the Global Foundation of Nursing
In 1854 during the Crimean War, she visited the battlefield as a nurse and tended to the wounded regardless of whether they were ally or enemy. This image garnered her recognition around the world as the “Angel of Crimea” and the “Lady with the Lamp.” Nightingale was not merely a caring soul, but a woman overflowing with talent and passion. She was ahead of her time, possessing strength and resilience and displaying both shrewdness and rigor.
Okinawa, the Birthplace of Mother Nurse
The tale of Nightingale’s kind and strong heart spread to these beautiful southern islands as well, which survived the terrible tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
We believe that creating a peaceful world without war requires us to reconsider the “spirit of nursing,” which is characterized by knowing history, honoring the spirit of our forebears, and respecting human life and dignity as expressed through tender love. This is the true essence of healing that future eras call for.
As the head army nurse who led the “Himeyuri Student” nursing unit during the Battle of Okinawa, she assisted in the military efforts until the battle’s conclusion. Throughout the reconstruction period that followed, she harnessed her remarkable philanthropic spirit and dedicated her life to the development of Okinawa and the revitalization of modern nursing. Mother Nurse’s mission is to share the legacy and achievements of the boundlessly benevolent Nobu with the rest of the world for eternity.
| 1918: | Born in Shuri City, Okinawa Prefecture (November 21st). |
| 1935: | Graduated from Okinawa Primary Women's High School. Admitted to the Okinawa branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society’s Relief Nurse Training School. |
| 1939: | Recruited as part of a relief squad and employed at Kokura Military Hospital. |
| 1945: | Joins the military efforts with the Himeyuri students as the head nurse of Okinawa Military Hospital’s Secondary Surgical Unit. |
| 1946: | Employed as head nurse at Okinawa Central Hospital after working at Koza Orphanage. |
| 1951: | Founded the Okinawa Archipelago Nursing Association (currently the “Okinawa Nursing Association”). Served as the first chairman. |
| 1952 | Employed as chief nursing clerk in the Medical Policy Division of the Ryukyu Government Health Bureau |
| 1966: | Employed as head of the nursing division at Ryukyu Government Chubu Central Hospital. |
| 1972: | Employed as head nurse at University of the Ryukyus Hospital. |
| 1980: | Became the first head nurse at Naha Municipal Hospital. |
| 1985: | Left Naha Municipal Hospital. Awarded the 30th “Florence Nightingale Medal.” |
| 2004: | Died (January 31st). |
