The Island's nurses are today marking 2015’s Nurses Day with a series of events to celebrate the remarkable work of the profession.
Nurses Day is celebrated across the globe on 12 May each year, the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is considered the founder of modern nursing.
One of the Island's student nurses Lydia Skillicorn has spearheaded this year’s celebrations on the Island by suggesting a number of activities, which have received the backing of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
Nursing teams have been able to nominate colleagues for the title of ‘The Calm in the Storm’ and ‘A Smile for Every Patient’. Winners have been displayed on a ‘Wall of Fame’ alongside memorabilia boards at Noble's Hospital. The boards illustrate nursing through the ages and include quotes, photographs and reflections from staff that demonstrate their passion for nursing.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said: “All of the Island’s health and social care professionals perform a remarkable job, going the extra mile time and again to help patients and to deliver consistently high quality care. Today is our opportunity, as a community, to recognise the contribution that nurses make and to say ‘thank you’.
“The Department is currently working to recruit additional nurses, with around 30 additional posts created in October of last year. We are committed to supporting our nurses and giving them the resources they need to be able to deliver care that is of the highest standard.
“To this end, I can announce that the Department has secured membership of the RCN accredited HeART Appraisal Framework, which will be made available to each employed registered nurse on the Island. This software enables nurses to manage their training, development and appraisal needs online. This will ensure that, through keeping up-to-date with best practice, training and revalidation, the delivery of high quality patient care by our Island’s nurses continues.”
The day is also being marked by the distribution of chocolates, donated by Friends Provident International, across the Island to as many nurses as possible, at Noble’s Hospital, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, in the community, across mental health and at Hospice Isle of Man.
Chief Nurse for the Isle of Man, Linda Radcliffe, said: “We are very grateful to Friends Provident International for their gifts to the Island’s nurses, and to one of our local radio stations – 3 FM – for delivering them. It has helped to make the day a fun celebration, as have the events suggested by Lydia, who is now in her second year of training at Noble’s Hospital.
“Nursing is a challenging profession, but a rewarding one. The RCN has recently launched a thought provoking campaign ‘This is Nursing’ which demonstrates the remarkable work our nurses do each and every day, where joy and sadness can come in equal measure. Nurses are there, from the moment a new life begins, to saying goodbye to a loved one, and all the stages in between. I’d like to put on record my thanks to each and every nurse on the Island for the difference they make.”
Pictured left to right at Noble’s Hospital with the memorabilia board: Linda Radcliffe, Chief Nurse for the Isle of Man; Lydia Skillicorn, Student Nurse; and Howard Quayle MHK, Minister for Health and Social Care
