BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
WITH this year’s theme ‘Nursing the World to HEALTH’ a female nurse who works at the National Referral Hospital says she is proud of her career in saving lives though facing much challenges.
The female nurse, who wants her name with-held, said May 12 every year is a special day for nurses around the world in commemorating their founder Florence Nightingale.
“We used to celebrate this day annually but today due to the COVID-19 pandemic there is no celebration.
“But we are proud to become nurses though we faced with challenges and criticisms every day, becoming a nurse is indeed a challenging and tough job but for me I take pride because I save lives and help my people and my country in saving lives and making sure our people’s health are taken care off”, the female nurse said.
She said though with limited facilities and resources they have at the National Referral Hospital they can still perform to their best to take care of sick patients visiting the hospital.
“And there were times we fail our patients due to lack of proper facilities but that did not let us down to continue and carry our jobs.
“I work as a nurse not for money but because of my passion in caring for the sick and the health of our people”, the female nurse said.
According to World Health Organization message to mark the World Nursing Day, WHO said nurses are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics – providing high quality and respectful treatment and care. They are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital.
Nurses account for more than half of all the world’s health workers, yet there is an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide with 5.9 million more nurses still needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role nurses play. Without nurses and other health workers, we will not win the battle against outbreaks, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or universal health coverage.
“As we mark this, day, we urge countries to ensure:
- the occupational safety and health of nurses and all health workers, including notably, unhindered access to personal protective equipment so they can safely provide care and reduce infections in health care settings.
- nurses and all health care workers have access to mental health support, timely pay, sick leave and insurance; as well as access to the most up-to-date knowledge and guidance required to respond to all health needs, including outbreaks.
- nurses are given the financial support and other resources required to help respond to and control COVID-19 and future outbreaks.
“In this year of the Nurse and the Midwife, now more than ever, it is essential that governments support and invest in their nurses. COVID19 reinforces the need for investment in nursing jobs, education, leadership”, WHO stated.
In April, WHO and partners launched the first ever State of the Worlds’ Nursing Report, which provides a snapshot of the global nursing workforce as well as highlights the scale of the challenge we face and provides feasible policies for governments to invest in nursing so that Health for All can become a reality.
By developing their nursing workforces, countries can achieve the triple impact of improving health, promoting gender equality and supporting economic growth. Strengthening nursing will have the additional benefits of promoting gender equity (SDG5), contributing to economic development (SDG8) and supporting other Sustainable Development Goals.
