The Florence Nightingale Museum in London brought a touch of history to the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) 2025 conference, held in Boston from March 30 to April 2. The museum’s director, Laura Sharpe, reprised her first role at the museum—portraying Florence Nightingale—captivating attendees and sparking renewed interest in the origins of modern nursing.
Sharpe, who originally trained as an actress, greeted visitors in full character as Nightingale, wearing historically inspired attire. She showcased two vintage-style nursing uniforms—one from the early 1900s and another from the 1960s—while posing for selfies and engaging attendees with stories of Nightingale’s life and legacy. Her performance helped highlight Nightingale’s enduring influence as the founder of professional nursing.
The booth was sponsored by Betty Long, RN, a successful entrepreneur, founder of Guardian Nurses, and a renowned Florence Nightingale enthusiast. To encourage engagement, Guardian Nurses offered a raffle prize of two round-trip flights to London for a visit to the museum.
Another major attraction at the booth was a new 360-degree immersive virtual walk-through of Lea Hurst, one of the Nightingale family’s historic country homes. The immersive experience—funded by the American Friends of the Florence Nightingale Museum, a U.S.-based nonprofit—allowed attendees to explore Nightingale’s world in vivid detail. The virtual tour of the home was provided by U.S.-based visiTOUR.US.
The museum’s presence at AONL aimed to promote its mission and generate excitement for its forthcoming exhibition, Healing Spaces, opening in London on November 17, 2025. By combining live historical interpretation, digital innovation, and the passion of Nightingale advocates like Sharpe and Long, the museum made a memorable impression on nursing leaders from across the country.
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