On 12 May, we celebrate International Nurses Day, a day which also marks the birth of Florence Nightingale, one of the most renowned pioneers in nursing. 

The theme set for 2020 is “Nurses A voice to lead: Nursing the world to health”. It is a befitting theme, given the current global health situation.

On International Nurses Day, we pay tribute to nurses who are amongst the front-liners during the COVID-19 pandemic, caring, assisting and reassuring our patients who very often due to COVID-19 restrictions are not able to seek the comfort of their own loved ones.

The nursing profession has evolved and advanced, both clinically and academically.  An increasing number of doctoral qualified nurses are leading research in various areas, working in synergy with other healthcare professionals.

Within the clinical domain, nurses are leading their respective teams in delivering compassionate, research-based care. Innovative nurse-led services within the acute and community care settings are vital to sustain an improved patient care service through the application of advanced practice.

As a family doctor, I support a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to effectively meet each patient’s individual needs from a medical and social perspective. I have worked closely with nurses from various settings and have personally witnessed their valuable contribution to society at large. The circumstances of the last months have been an eye opener to the selfless commitment of nurses worldwide.  The current COVID-19 pandemic has definitely changed life as we know it.

Nurses are beyond doubt, rising to the call to nurse the world to health. Whilst I thank all nurses working for our patients, I augur the profession to continue to flourish.