International Nurses Day is a global celebration that acknowledges and celebrates the commitment and professionalism of nurses around the world. It is an opportunity to ensure that the invaluable contribution that Nurses and Midwives make within the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust is recognised and celebrated.
The Trust celebrated the day by hosting an event for the family of Nursing and Midwifery in the Lisburn Civic Centre following an invitation by the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Stephen Martin.
The event provided the opportunity to launch the ‘Here for Life’ campaign which was an initiative led by the Chief Nursing Officers of the UK and Ireland and the RCN Foundation, with the aim that the general public will develop a fuller understanding of the breadth and diversity of Nursing and Midwifery roles and expertise, and the impact that these professions have on individual patients/clients and therefore on our society as a whole. It is hoped that the campaign will clearly articulate the professionalism, knowledge and expertise of Nurses and Midwives to supporting life, at every stage, and in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings, as well as their enduring, lifelong commitment to their professions.
There was an opportunity for staff to engage and discuss various topics with a panel of Nursing and Midwifery speakers, Professor Neal Cook, Professor Owen Barr and Mauro Magbitang who were all flying the flag for men in Nursing, as they spoke of their participation in the wider ‘Here for Life’ campaign.
Those attending also heard from Natalie Murray, an Early Careers Nurse and from Sharon McRoberts, a Nurse who has been in practice over 40 years. Sharon and Natalie spoke of their contrasting experiences and their leadership journey in their Nursing careers.
Special Guest comedian, Paddy Raff also attended to add some light hearted entertainment to the proceedings!
As part of this year’s celebrations, every member of the South Eastern Trust Nursing & Midwifery family received a commemorative badge as recognition of their individual contribution to Nursing and Midwifery.
Commenting on the success of the day, Director of Nursing, Primary Care & Older People, Nicki Patterson said, “Today has been an opportunity to celebrate all that is great about Nursing & Midwifery in the Trust. As Director of Nursing, I want to wholeheartedly acknowledge and commend the huge contribution that Nursing and Midwifery have made during this second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have continued to do their best to deliver safe, high quality care with improved experience and outcomes for people and despite the challenges, have supported one another and have transformed how we deliver services in many areas.
“Today we thanked every nurse, midwife and health care support worker for the dedication, professionalism and resilience they have shown.”
The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh Council, Alderman Stephen Martin, speaking about the importance of International Nurses Day, said: “I am honoured to host an in person event for nurses from right across our area at Lagan Valley Island to mark this important annual event held on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
“Our community is deeply thankful for the central role nurses play in patient safety and care without whom our health service simply could not operate, which has never been more clear than since the start of the pandemic. The role of a nurse is tough, can be stressful and sometimes thankless. Yet day in day out nurses are saving lives, providing comfort and together form part of a proud and highly skilled profession at the forefront of innovation in health care and public health.”
The day was teleconferenced across Trust sites enabling as many nursing and midwifery staff as possible to take part in the celebrations.