Celebrating our nursing achievements

12 May 2017

12 May 2017

The important role nurses play in providing leading care to patients is the focus of St John of God Health Care’s (SJGHC) International Nurses Day celebrations.

SJGHC Group Director of Nursing, Cynthia Dowell said nurses not only provide front line care to patients, their families and carers but also have important roles in improving practice through research.

She said this was highlighted in the last two weeks with several nurses and a nursing unit being named finalist in key awards.

“We had nurses and midwives from St John of God Ballarat, Mt Lawley, Midland and Murdoch hospitals all recently shortlisted as finalists in two different nursing awards, which is a great achievement,” Cynthia said.

“It is very pleasing to see so many of our caregivers highlighted and recognised as leaders in their fields of nursing and midwifery.”

Cynthia said celebrating all nurses, from those who were leaders in their field, to those in the middle of their careers or just starting out was the key on International Nurses Day.

“We celebrate each and every one of our nurses on International Nurses Day, and it is great that we have some remarkable role models working in our hospitals leading the care we provide,” Cynthia said.

Did you know:

• St John of God Health Care employees almost 7000 nurses.
• International Day of Nurses is celebrated on 12 May every year which is Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
• The original nurse cap was designed using a nun’s habit as inspiration to keep hair neatly in place. It was chosen as Catholic nuns provided the bulk of nursing care at the time and their habit then became synonymous with care and compassion.
• The word nursing is derived from the Latin word nutrire which means to nourish.