12 May International Nurses Day 2023: Celebrating the Dedication and Compassion of Nurses

International Nurses Day 2023: Celebrating the Dedication and Compassion of Nurses

International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 12th to honour the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The history of International Nurses Day dates back to 1953 when the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proposed that May 12th be celebrated as “International Nurses Day” to commemorate Florence Nightingale’s contribution to nursing. Florence Nightingale was born in 1820, in Florence, Italy. She became a nurse during the Crimean War, where she gained recognition for her tireless efforts to care for wounded soldiers and improve the unsanitary conditions of military hospitals. Florence Nightingale was known as the “Lady with the Lamp” because of her habit of making rounds at night to care for patients.

Nurses play a critical role in healthcare, providing compassionate care, advocating for patients, and improving health outcomes, they truly are heroes. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the significance of nursing and the challenges they face in providing quality care amidst unprecedented circumstances.

International Nurses Day provides an opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge the contributions of nurses to healthcare and society. It also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges that nurses face, including shortages, burnout, and lack of recognition.

The theme for the 2023 resource is Our Nurses. Our Future.

This is a global campaign which sets out what we want for nursing in the future in order to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all.

There are around 450,000 registered nurses and midwives in Australia, making it the largest clinical workforce in the country. Victoria represents almost 125,000 of these registered nurses and midwives.

Nursing is a noble profession that requires a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and expertise. Nurses work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, and communities. And involved in all aspects of healthcare, from prevention to treatment and rehabilitation.

At Timboon and District Healthcare Service we have a diverse workforce consisting of about 60 nurses working, not only on our ward, but also in other areas within our healthcare service:

• District Nursing
• Allied Health
• Quality Improvement
• Regional Assessment
• Practice Nursing
• Executive area

Think about how the expertise of a nurse has improved your health or that of a loved one in the last 12 months. Maybe they cared for your child, organised community care for your parent, visited your parent at home to look after a wound, vaccinated you against COVID-19 or provided crucial support to a family member in their last moments?

Nurses are connected to our community in all different ways and they should be proud of the work that they do and the positive influence they and their work has on others.

Timboon and District Healthcare Service acknowledge and thank our wonderful nurses for the work they do.