Today, the 12th of May is International Nurses Day. A very important day to be remembered, especially as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t think we could we have a better opportunity to thank the nursing staff all around the globe !!
Where it all started: The day marks the birth of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern day nursing. Her keen observation helped her come to a conclusion that most war soldiers died due to improper sanitization rather than war injuries. This indeed served as a ray of hope to all the ailing war soldiers and also laid the foundation for a disciplined and planned field of modern day nursing.
Such is the observation and importance of nurses in the healthcare ecosystem.
Today marks the 201st Birth anniversary of this pioneer and visionary who was also called as “The Lady with the Lamp” for making rounds of the wounded soldiers at night.
How do nurses play an important role: Nurses play an important role in many ways and have been a strong pillar of the healthcare ecosystem around the world. And following are some reasons why they make an inseparable part of the system.
Caretakers: A nurse is the direct caretaker for most patients and hence is the crucial factor for any patient’s journey at the clinic/hospital. While trained to take care of the patients, they also play an important role in monitoring different statistics for each patient and reporting them to the physicians.
Counselor: Being in frequent contact with the patient helps them be the constant counsellor on what needs to be done and how to do it right. My personal observation is that many patients forget to ask the right question when the doctor is on rounds. Nurses then help guide on what needs to be done, either based on their knowledge or after consulting the doctor-in-charge.
Spreading positivity: Smile is the most powerful healing tool that we have for free. This positive vibe carried by nurses as they visit the patients is a great way to bring positivity to the patient. For some, it may be a ray of hope that helps then see a new day in life or may be years.
Presence and monitoring: Nurses are known for their presence and monitoring capabilities. Reaching out to patients any time of the day as soon as the patient calls for help. What more could a person ask than having a caretaker who monitors the health and literally runs to help each time the patient needs.
Advocates for patients: As they spend most time with patients, they are the ones who understand the patients better and in many cases do act as patients advocate while communicating to the doctors. They take efforts to make things easier for patients.
End users for awesome machinery: Many people appreciate the awesome machines that modern hospitals are equipped with. Being end users of this awesome machinery, does call for a round of applause for the nursing staff. You cannot run most machines without them.
Leads for innovation: Looking at the example of Florence Nightingale, there is no denying the fact that nurses can provide important inputs to help lead the innovation from the front. In fact, some of their observations could also lead to breakthrough innovations.
Ready for challenges: Nurses are always ready for challenges. It can come in any form to them, may it be a critical patient awaiting treatment or a machine failure. Their “Never say no” attitude helps them win through most situations.
What needs to be done for them:
Respect them: The nursing staff needs to get the respect they deserve. It is a bad idea to disrespect them after all the hard work and dedication they offer to their profession.
Take care of their mental health: This staff is continuously on their toes for most of the time and sees a lot of suffering and pain. Hence, it is very important to ensure they have a good mental health. Its takes a lot of courage to see so much pain on a daily basis.
Listen to their suggestions: Ideas or suggestions on how to improve healthcare should be collected from them at a regular basis. Gamification of this with some perks to the idea contributor could be a great way to improve the healthcare ecosystem and who know, we might find the next Florence Nightingale !!
Do let me know your thoughts below !!
Nagesh Naik 
You nailed it, salute to all the nurses for their services and if u see one don’t hesitate to thanks him/her in person. Let’s spread the positivity in this tough time, let’s bring smile to more faces. Situation changes with time and we need to stand stronger than ever.
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Totally agree. Together we are stronger.
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