International Nurses Day is celebrated by the people for the Birthday of the Founder for Nurse which is known as the Nightingale of Florence. The day is observed around the world on May 12. Nurses day is intended to honor and note the many contributions nurses make to society. Nurses care for our loved ones at some of the most challenging times of their lives. They may run short of time, but not compassion.
In Australia, Canada, the United States, and other countries, International Nurses Day often is part of a week-long celebration, usually referred to as National Nurses Week.
The theme for International Nurses Day 2020 is ‘Royal salute to our great nursing heroes’. Nurses, nursing students, lab technicians and college principals took part in the events. It is also the 120th anniversary of the International Council of Nurses(ICN).
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International Nurses Day 2020: Key facts
- Nearly 50% of the global health workforce is constituted by nurses and midwives.
- There is a global shortage of health workers and the largest shortages of nurses and midwives are in South East Asia and Africa.
- To reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, the world will need an additional 9 million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.
- Nurses play a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention, and delivering primary and community care, and care in emergency settings.
- They will be key to the achievement of universal health coverage.
Nurses have many roles in communities and health care facilities; they provide personal care and manage treatment, work with families and communities, and play a central part in public health and controlling disease and infection. It includes the promotion of health, the prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people.
Universal health coverage (UHC) can be achieved with the support of the nurses as they have the potential to make significant contributions to meet the health care needs of various population groups in a variety of community settings in the country.
What is shine a light for nurses on Tuesday?
The public has been asked to “shine a light” on Tuesday to mark International Nurses Day and the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale birth.
This will be done this year to recognise the efforts of nursing professionals around the world as they help to tackle coronavirus.
The request is in recognition of the World Health Organization (WHO having designated 2020 as International Year of the Nurse to mark the bicentenary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
International Nurses Day Celebrations in India:
Secretary of the association, A Raj says, “Each year the celebrations are held in the hospitals. This year due to the pandemic we decided to have quizzes, essay writing, poetry writing and speaking and drawing competitions online”.
Several participants have sent videos of them performing spoken word poetry, and as many as 490 members of the association took part in the competitions. Even as many others declined to take part in such celebrations in honour of the lives lost, Raj said it was important to hold the event and record this year to remember in future the unprecedented turn of events and the role of nurses during the crisis time. He said that certificates and cash awards would be sent to the winners online tomorrow.
Meanwhile, The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) Nurses Empowerment Association has requested the Chief Minister to appoint 2570 nurses recruited for coronavirus pandemic management under regular posts instead of temporary posts.
