International Nurses Day: Celebrating Innovations In Nursing Care

Nurses are like real angels, sent by God to heal those who are struggling with sickness. They are the backbone of the healthcare system, working continuously without rest for the betterment of our health. Today, we are going to explore the tremendous efforts of these super souls in our blog. Continue to read for more information.

What is the history of International Nurses Day?

The International Nurses day is celebrated every year on 12th May, to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is the pioneer of modern nursing born in 1820 in the city of Florence, Italy. 

The theme for each year of International Nurses Day is chosen by a ICN (International Council of Nurses) federation which consists of more than 130 national nursing associations globally, representing those 28 million nurses working globally.

The theme for the International Nurse Day 2024 is "Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care."

The aim of the day is to reshape perceptions of nursing, demonstrating the strategies to invest in nursing which can bring economic and social benefits.

What is Nursing?

Nursing involves autonomous and collaborative care of people of all ages, families, groups, and communities, both sick and well. It includes various processes like promoting health, preventing sickness, and the care of ill, disabled, and dying people.

Types Of Nursing

Here are the four key areas of nursing which are given below:

1. Mental health nurse: It involves delivering care and support to people who are struggling with their mental health, helping in managing the condition with medication or relevant therapies.
2. Learning disability nurse: It involves providing support to disabled people to learn how to live an independent and fulfilled life.
3. Adult nurse: It involves looking after adult patients who suffer from long or short-term physical health conditions and assisting in their needs.
4. Children's nurse: It involves providing support to children of all ages, from newborns to adolescents, in treatment and giving support to the parents or caregivers.
5. Nursing associate: It is a new role within the nursing profession or team which gives you a chance to work across all the four fields of nursing.

4 Role Of Nurses In Healthcare

Here are some of the roles and responsibilities of nurses which they need to take care of:

1. Clinical work: The first and foremost role of a nurse is clinical work. It can happen in different settings with a wide range of patient populations. Nurses play a vital role in reducing gaps in clinical outcomes and improving healthcare equity (attainment of (attainment of the highest level of health).
2. Managing work: The second role which a nurse could involve is managing work, which is a unique contribution of a nurse to the healthcare setting. A nurse should know how to manage time to ensure the best patient care and work life harmony.
3. Enabling work: Nurses play a crucial role in supporting and improving the healthcare system through education, research, policy development, and leadership activities. Nurses who are participating in enabling work are not directly dealing with patients.
4. Adaptation: A nurse should either adapt to the patient's needs, work in helping the patient to adapt to the environment or surroundings, or adapt the environment to the needs of the patient.

6 Pro Tips to Nurses for self-care

Here are the six pro tips for a nurse to follow,

1. Take a lunch break: Giving a proper time for a lunch break and proper place to have your lunch where you can comfortably sit down. It will help you to work better with a  long lasting period of time.
2. Physical activities: It is recommended to engage in cardio and regular physical activities which makes you feel good. Giving your body a proper movement can help to refresh both physical and mental health.
3. Drink enough water: Drinking a sufficient quantity of water can help the body stay hydrated and prevent heat-related illness.
4. Prioritise your sleep-wake cycle: Maintaining a healthy sleeping pattern can help to prevent stress and make you active to do all your assigned tasks.
5. Practise mindfulness: Engaging in relaxation techniques like yoga, breathing exercise and music therapy can help you to reduce the stress and its related risk (hypertension, obesity and heart disease).
6. Self-care: It is crucial to allocate some time for self-care which will impact the health of the individuals and the patient-care in the nursing.

Always remember that the health of the nurse will affect the care of the patients in the healthcare system. Hence, prioritize your health by balancing both your health and the health of the patient you're handling.

What can we contribute from our end?

Nurses contribute a lot to improving everyone's quality of health. For dedicated professionals, we can show our gratitude by simply saying "thank you," or you can write down a letter or note that expresses our gratitude for the service and support they have given us. You might think that it is a small activity that isn't that effective, but indeed, it will be a great motivation to do their life-saving role in a much better version.

Ending Notes!

On this International Nurses Day, let's cherish the efforts of nurses and their remarkable work towards healthcare. They have made a valuable contribution to our society, for which everyone is grateful. Let's make them happy by showing our love and gratitude towards the service, which improves the quality of life.