International Nurses Day: Reflection, Giving Thanks & a Trip Down Memory Lane

nurse wearing a mask

International Nurses Day is a day Angela Williams, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and nurse educator colleagues at Wrexham Glyndŵr University recognise annually. The date of the 12th May marks the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. An occasion which the team commemorate, using the day to praise the achievements of the nursing profession.

The International Nurses Day campaign theme this year has been titled: A Voice to Lead - A Vision for Future Healthcare. We are fully aware over the last year of the impact, hard work and dedication nurses across the world have given to the profession during a challenging period. We are conscious that we have lost several conscientious and hardworking nursing colleagues, who will be remembered for their immense dedication to the profession. What everyone is doing, has done and achieved across the nursing profession will impact the future of healthcare.

These last 12 months have been the hardest for many, including myself. There have been many days of reflection, when I and my colleagues have remembered when we started our nursing careers, including to this day when we still have a strong commitment and passion for nursing. These last 12 months have been the hardest for many, including myself.

Here we are now in 2021, in a place where we can be involved with a vision for the future of healthcare within the sphere of nurse education. Whilst we celebrate what the future will hold, we say thank you to all of the healthcare staff and student nurses who have worked so hard over the last year across the world. Your nursing careers will be influenced by the challenges you have experienced. We are proud of all the courageous and compassionate nurses who have worked so tirelessly hard. From the team we say THANK YOU. Let us be part of building a vision for our future healthcare by working together and creating the future workforce. We are a friendly team at Wrexham Glyndŵr University and pride ourselves on our friendly, supportive and compassionate approach to nurse education.

When she was honoured with the title of Queens Nurse, Professional Lead for Nursing at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, Chris O’Grady said: “As a Queens Nurse, I’m just as passionate about nursing, training and quality as I was at the beginning of my career, and it makes me incredibly proud to be recognised in this way”.

She continues: “I’m so privileged to be able to share my knowledge and commitment to nursing through nurse education, especially at Wrexham Glyndŵr University”.

Angela Williams, Senior Lecturer in Nursing adds “I am so proud of my career spanning 39 years in nursing and nurse education. I am still be so passionate about the profession and continue to be so proud to be a nurse. Now is the time to invest in the nursing profession by shaping the future, and to welcome new students to nursing, a career they will truly feel proud of”.‌

 

Written by Angela Williams, Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at Wrexham Glyndŵr University.