International Nurses Day is observed across the world today to mark the contributions that nurses make to society. May 12 was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has been celebrating this day since 1965. Each year, the ICN sets a theme as well as prepares and distributes the International Nurses’ Day kit, which contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses around the world. The theme of International Nurses Day 2021 is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare”. Amidst the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are doing a selfless job to save the lives of people. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety.
Nurses playing vital role in fight against COVID pandemic: WHO
On the International Nurses Day last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) joined with hundreds of partners worldwide to highlight the importance of nurses in the healthcare sector.
“Historically, as well as today, nurses are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics – providing high quality and respectful treatment and care. They are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital,” the WHO said on its website.
The UN’s health agency also hailed the nurses for their immense contribution in fight against COVID-19 pandemic. “Without nurses and other health workers, we will not win the battle against outbreaks, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or universal health coverage,” it said.
There is shortage of nurses worldwide
According to the WHO, nurses account for more than half of all the world’s health workers. But it said that there is still an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide with 5.9 million more nurses still needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO encourages the countries to strengthen nursing workforces and invest in nursing jobs. “By developing their nursing workforce, countries can achieve the triple impact of improving health, promoting gender equality and supporting economic growth,” it asserted.
WHO urges countries to ensure safety of nurses
The WHO has been urging the countries around the world to ensure occupational safety and health of nurses and all health workers. According to the organization, nurses and all health workers should have unhindered access to –
- personal protective equipment so they can safely provide care and reduce infections in health care settings.
- mental health support, timely pay, sick leave and insurance
- most up-to-date knowledge and guidance required to respond to all health needs, including outbreaks.
- financial support and other resources required to help respond to and control COVID-19 and future outbreaks
Today, on the occasion of International Nurses Day, TheHealthsite salutes the nurses and health workers who are working tirelessly to combat the pandemic. We also pay tribute to the nurses and medical staff who lost their lives in the fight against the coronavirus.
This post first appeared on The Health Site
