Disciples were called Christians.
—Acts 11:26
The Nightingale Pledge, composed by Lystra Gretter, is a statement of the ethics of the nursing profession. It was first quoted by the graduating class of Harper Hospital in Detroit in 1893. At commencement and pinning ceremonies, graduating nurses have recited the pledge, or some revision of it, ever since.
The pledge was named in honor of Florence Nightingale, who had a significant impact on our world by establishing the first nursing school at St. Thomas Hospital in London, in 1860. Graduates of the school were called Nightingales.
The followers of Jesus were called Christians. The impact of Jesus on our world is without equal. His life, death, and resurrection have been transforming lives for two thousand years. Christian is the name we proudly wear; one we must never besmirch by behavior that would dishonor it.
That Christ permits us to wear his name is
an honor beyond all others.