Nursing & Midwifery
Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt, 1915-1992
Display No. 97
Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt was a pioneer in many ways. From Nigeria, she was the first black student to attend the Nightingale Training School for Nurses (1946-1949) even though her father disapproved of her career choice. She was the first black nurse to work for the NHS and was based at Evelina and St Thomas’ Hospitals.
She returned to Nigeria in 1954 to follow in Nightingale’s footsteps by establishing a nursing school in 1965 which laid the foundations of modern nursing in Nigeria today. During this same time, she also became Chief Nursing Officer for Nigeria and the first black woman to become Vice Presenident of the International Council of Nurses.
Exhibits from ‘Nursing & Midwifery’.
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Nightingale is respected worldwide for her pioneering role in developing the nursing profession, her statistical work, and her evidence-based approach to healthcare. In honour of her bicentenary the World Health Organisation have named 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
In our special exhibition, you will find out about objects, people and places which tell interesting stories about Florence’s life and legacy. You’ll discover artefacts from her life, people she both inspired and challenged, and places she helped to shape. There’s many more insights too!
Please click on the different sections of her famous coxcomb diagram to explore various aspects of her life and legacy. We hope you enjoy exploring!