Shining a Light on 'The Lady of the Lamp'

Campbell, who studied theatre at Puget Sound, has been an actor, playwright, nurse, and author, among other pursuits.

The acting came first, at Puget Sound, with inspirational instruction from faculty members Rick Tutor and Raymond J. Barry. “We gained so much by working with people who had done professional theatre,” she says.

She found that her theatre training served her well when, five years later, she pivoted into nursing. “Just like when you’re on stage, you have to use your emotional intelligence to read the room and relate to others,” she says. She drew on those skills to write Improv to Improve Healthcare, now in its second edition, and Improv to Improve Your Leadership Team (both published by Business Expert Press).

While an assistant professor at the University of San Francisco, Campbell discovered the digitized works of Nightingale and was hooked. Campbell researched the pioneer’s outlook and accomplishments—many achieved while bedridden from the lingering effect of brucellosis during the last 50 years of Nightingale’s life—and distilled them into a compelling show that she has performed in seven states, including off Broadway.

Campbell’s website makes the case for Nightingale’s significance today:

“Aside from creating an actual profession out of caring for the sick, i.e., the nursing profession, she was what some call the poster child for women rights and disadvantaged people, long before it was fashionable.”

Says Campbell, “The long-term implications of her work are far more widespread than people realize.”

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