Dame Sarah Ann Swift, GBE, RRC (22 November 1854, Kirton Skeldyke, Lincolnshire – 27 June 1937,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

) was an English

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

and founder in 1916 of the College of Nursing Ltd. which became the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union and professional body in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916 as the College of Nursing, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Eliz ...

. The College of Nursing created the first registers of nurses, a blueprint for the introduction of Nurse registration in the United Kingdom. Dame-Sarah-Ann-Swift

Early life

Swift was born on the Blossom Hall Estate at Kirton Skeldyke in Holland, Lincolnshire, the daughter of Robert Swift, a tenant farmer. She undertook training in nursing at the Royal Infirmary, Dundee (1877-1890).

Nursing career

Swift held a number of senior nursing and matron positions in

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(Home for the Incurables 1886). City Hospital

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(1887), London Fever Hospital (1888), Seamen's Hospital

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(1890) then Guy's Hospital,

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. She was Matron of Guy's Hospital (1901–09), then retired, but at the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

she was appointed matron-Chief for the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England.

Royal College of Nursing

With the Hon. Arthur Stanley ( MP, Chairman of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross in World War One ) Swift founded the College of Nursing Ltd . The other four founding members were Miss Alicia Lloyd-Still (matron of St. Thomas' Hospital, London), Miss Rachael Cox-Davies (matron of the Royal Free Hospital, London), Mr Cooper Perry (Medical superintendent of Guy's Hospital, London) and Mr Comyns Berkely (consultant at the

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

, London ). A letter was sent out to all the training hospitals outlining the idea pointing out that although there was disagreement on issues relating to registration there was a need to coordinated nursing and all trained nurses should unite in one democratic organisation with the power in the hands of the membership. By 1918 there were 13,000 Members. They elected the first council and set up Centres (later to be called Branches). The College of Nursing Ltd later became the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) modeled on the Royal College of Physicians and surgeons. On 27 March 1916 the College of Nursing was registered as a limited company. Dame Sarah Swift was the first member of the College of Nursing, member of Council 1916-37, President 1925-27, Vice president 1928-9 and Hon.Treasurer 1927-37 The College of Nursing became the Royal College of Nursing in 1947.

Recognition

In 1916 Swift was made Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. In 1919 she was made Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for her services to nursing. In 1929 she was awarded the Florence Nightingale medal of the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...

Legacy

A ward at St Thomas Hospital is named after her. A building at the University of Lincoln bears her name

References

Sources

External links

Official Royal College of Nursing website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Sarah 1854 births 1937 deaths British nursing administrators Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Royal Red Cross People from Kirton, Lincolnshire People from Marylebone Presidents of the Royal College of Nursing British nurses