Florence Nightingale: The Original Nursing GOAT with Melissa Pritchard
Melissa Pritchard is the award-winning author of twelve books, including the novels Flight of the Wild Swan and Palmerino, the short story collection The Odditorium, and the essay collection A Solemn Pleasure: To Imagine, Witness, and Write. Among other honors, she has received the Flannery O’Connor Award, Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, and Carl Sandburg Literary Award as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Carson McCullers Center. Emeritus Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Arizona State University, she is the fiction editor for Image journal and lives in Columbus, Georgia. Her short story collection, The Carnation Milk Palace, will be published in January 2027.
Episode Summary:
In this inspiring episode of Don't Eat Your Young, host Beth Quaas sits down with author and professor Melissa Pritchard to dive deep into the life and legacy of Florence Nightingale — the true original "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time) in nursing.
Melissa shares the incredible story behind her novel Flight of the Wild Swan and how a serendipitous visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum led her to chronicle Nightingale's groundbreaking impact on healthcare, nursing leadership, public health reform, and the modern role of nurses today.
Learn how Florence Nightingale’s vision, statistical genius, and unwavering compassion still influence nursing practice, healthcare systems, and women's leadership more than 200 years later. If you’re a nurse, healthcare worker, history lover, or leader, this episode will leave you inspired and proud of your profession.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- Melissa Pritchard’s journey to writing Flight of the Wild Swan
- Florence Nightingale’s revolutionary contributions to nursing and healthcare
- Nursing leadership lessons from Florence Nightingale
- How Nightingale’s work in the Crimean War shaped modern healthcare
- The power of calling, service, and compassionate leadership
Resources & Links:
Connect with Melissa Pritchard on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit Melissa's website.
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