A nurse’s job is extremely rewarding because they care for people at both ends of life. An intelligent and competent nurse can save a patient’s life by recognising early warning signs, while a negligent nurse can be the cause of a patient’s death. International Nurses Day was established to recognise and give tribute to all nurses around the world and the extraordinary work they accomplish. It’s insane to consider a world without nurses. When we’re not feeling well, who will take care of us? Nurses contribute so much to our lives and the lives of those we care about, so it’s only right that we have a day to appreciate and recognise their work!
The experience of caring starts from home, from mother to child. This caring attitude needs to be inculcated in our younger generation as this will make a significant difference as they become nurses. Nurses provide accessible, affordable, person-centered, holistic care for everybody, from birth to death, noncommunicable illnesses to infectious disease, mental health to chronic ailments, in hospitals, communities and homes. Not a day passes without the service of a nurse whether it is a hospital, care home or community health centre. Let all nurses be proud of their noble profession. Even though the nursing profession has seen significant advancements over the past year, nurses are still not as well recognised as doctors, and they are still paid minimum wage.
Every year on the 12th of May, the birthdate of Florence Nightingale, International Nurses Day is held to honor the important role that nursing colleagues perform around the world. The theme for 2022 is Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health. To reform health systems to fulfil the needs of individuals and communities now and in the future, the theme for 2022 emphasises the importance of investing in nursing, building a resilient, highly qualified nursing workforce, and protecting nurses’ rights.
Pandemic has taught us many lessons including the consequences of nursing shortage and how severely this affected the global health. It was during this time that many of our nursing colleagues were appreciated for their selfless service rendered amidst facing a lot of physical, mental, social and financial constraints. During the pandemic nurses were forced to work in various clinical settings, experienced public attacks, dealt with excessive workloads, and are still underpaid and undervalued. Whether nurses are blamed or praised, the demand for nurses is increasing as people’s lifestyles change, leading to various existing and emerging diseases. If governments continue to put off investing in the health workforce, health systems around the world will suffer. Without a health workforce, we cannot sustain global health.
To my knowledge and experience, nurses are given due respect and recognition wherever nurses are engaged in providing compassionate quality nursing care based on sound theoretical knowledge at least in some of the higher education institutes. When the principal of a reputable medical college in India presided over a nursing college graduation ceremony, he stated, “I cannot assure that my medical students will be able to function independently the very next day of their graduation, unlike nursing graduates who will perform independently as a staff nurse.” Let us be proud of the quality nursing education being provided in our country.
Nurses in various positions, whether academic, leadership, or clinical, should strive to create a resilient, highly qualified workforce. It is not only the clinical nurse who saves a patient’s life; it begins with the academic nurse who devotes her entire life to preparing each student from novice to proficient nurse. All nursing teachers should serve as role models in order to attract more young people to this profession.
Let us all work together to invest in nursing and protect nurses’ rights. Provide in-service education to nurses, encourage participation in clinical and academic research, and improve leadership skills. Nurses have the right to be compensated and recognised for their efforts. School education should include an introduction to nursing and the scope of nursing so that students choose nursing as a career path like engineering or medicine. This would attract many students who would choose to enter the nursing profession rather than by chance.
Let’s celebrate the nurse’s day by appreciating each other’s work, empowering each other, striving for protecting the rights of nurses not only on this day but every day.
Happy International Nurses Day!