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Rebuttal to Dr. Fralic's comments by Roxanne Nelson, author of The Washington Post article

I saw your [story on Florence Nightingale]. I have to say, I don't know what article Maryann Fralic was reading. I certainly did not "present the displacement of Florence Nightingale as a role model as a powerful recommendation based on one feisty UK labor union wanting to overthrow her," as Dr. Fralic so kindly puts it. Rather, I just stated a fact, and the Unison nurses are very adamant about Nightingale no longer being a role model. And I represented the views of two nurse historians who certainly disputed the idea that Nightingale is "outdated" or needs to be replaced.

I should tell you that I am a nurse, although these days I work as a health/medical journalist. But all through nursing school, my classmates made fun of Nightingale (that she died of syphilis was the story of the day.) Although Dr. Fralic may not realize it, a great many nurses find the image of Nightingale rather distasteful, and feel that her legacy is keeping nursing down. I emphasize image, because many think of her as the docile lady with the lamp, rather than the innovative and brilliant woman that she was.

I guess Dr. Fralic didn't like my article because I showed several sides of the story, rather than present Nightingale as all wonderful and perfect. She wasn't. She was a Victorian woman, a woman of her time. I didn't write anything that wasn't true about Nightingale. I thought I presented Nightingale in a positive light, and several nursing magazines contacted The Washington Post and asked permission to reprint it.

So Dr. Fralic's comments are interesting, but I think she needs to reread my article objectively.

I forgot to add--I think that Dr. Fralic is being a little melodramatic when she says that the "Post does a huge disservice to nursing." I think they did a great service to nursing by printing it. And I certainly did not "discount Nightingale's proven phenomenal contributions and groundbreaking foundational work," as Dr. Fralic so eloquently puts. I wrote about all of her accomplishments--including the ones that most have never heard of. So which ones, pray tell, did I discount? Perhaps Dr. Fralic would like to write her own article.

So again, I don't know what Dr. Fralic's problem is. And please feel free to post my rebuttal to her in its entirety.

Cheers,

Roxanne Nelson

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