Florence and the Responsibility Promise of The Self Empowerment Pledge

I attribute my success to the fact that I never gave or took an excuse.

– Florence Nightingale

The most important three words in my book The Florence Prescription: From Accountability to Ownership are Proceed Until Apprehended. That commitment to initiative and getting things done is the spirit that inspired The Self Empowerment Pledge, which is featured in Chapter 10 of the book.

From the moment she undertook her mission to the Scutari Barrack Hospital, Florence accepted complete responsibility for the work. She took responsibility for fixing problems she had not caused and did not seek to duck responsibility for having not been able to fix those problems more quickly than she would liked to have.

Following the war, without fanfare Florence took responsibility for finding employment for the nurses who’d taken the journey with her, and she spent the rest of her life taking responsibility for the health of the British soldiers she had come to see as her children.

As Barbara Dossey wrote in her wonderful biography of Florence, “When doctors would say we can’t, her response was we must” (emphasis in original).

For examples of how the Proceed Until Apprehended philosophy is being practiced (or not practiced) in today’s hospitals, download this PDF of my 3-page article from the current edition of Arkansas Hospitals (a publication of the Arkansas Hospital Association).

Proceed Until Apprehended

Coming on Wednesday

In honor of Nurses Day 2020, on Wednesday I'll be posting a recorded webinar on one aspect of Florence that most people are not aware of - her role as the first professional hospital administrator and architect of the modern hospital. And in response to popular demand, on Wednesday we will also be releasing an audiobook edition of the 10th anniversary edition of The Florence Prescription.

Order Florence for Nurses Month

The Florence Prescription is the Nurses Month gift to your team that's also an investment in your culture. With over 500,000 copies in print, this book has helped promote a Culture of Ownership in hospitals and other healthcare organizations across the country. And still only $5 per book! Order this week to assure delivery before the end of May. For orders over 1,000 please call.

Order online: TheFlorenceChallenge.com

Order by phone: 319-624-3889