International Nurses Day: did you pause and reflect?

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International Nurses Day: did you pause and reflect? So, did you celebrate International Nurses Day on 12 May? Did you pause to reflect on your role and the positive contribution you make to society by helping others? Did you share with colleagues examples of good practice and compliments from patients? Or was it just another routine day at work? International Nurses Day has been celebrated around the world since 1965. However, since 1974, the celebrations have been marked on 12 May, and I am sure you all know this is the birthday of Florence Nightingale. As I particularly enjoy International Nurses Day, I have always tried to celebrate in some way. On the day, I always wear my hospital badge to remind me of my nursing roots. I trained at St Thomas’, London, in the Nightingale School and the badge has a picture of Nightingale on it; maybe that is why I feel an attachment to the day and a need to mark it in a positive and hopeful way. International Nurses Day always makes me reflect on why I became a nurse and how proud I am that I made that choice. I have always enjoyed my work as a nurse; although it is rather different now to how I might have thought it would be 30 years ago when I started. Additionally, as I think of celebrations, I also think back over the events of the past year. Sadly, health professionals have seen a string of reports that have at best exposed shortcomings, and at worst highlighted blatant abuse in the name of nursing care. Nobody could disagree that such things are appalling; however, we are never able to see the truly compassionate person-centred care that is routine 99% of the time, and it is this we need to expose and celebrate. I know this would not make the kind of headlines that sell newspapers, but I do think it would make a difference to staff morale and our patients. As health professionals, we don’t always stand up with pride to declare our contribution to health care, nor do we boast about our successes. This is often because events seem small, personal and emotional, a moment between you and your patient which has made all the difference to them and they will never forget. However, International Nurses Day gives us an opportunity to stand up and shout about it and I hope you did. I hope you will also continue doing it all year round as it provides huge encouragement for us all as we cope with everything the health service has to throw at us. As well as celebrating excellent care, nurses need to identify and deal with shortfalls to constantly safeguard the standards required to provide truly compassionate person-centred care. As I mentioned Melanie Hornett Nurse Director NHS Lothian Health Board before, there has been a run of damning reports about the quality of care. I ask myself, why does it take undercover cameras and inspectors to discover these things? Others must have recognised that unsafe care was being delivered and abusive practice inflicted on the most vulnerable of patients; why didn’t any one shout about that? It is far better for health professionals to deal with poor care early than let it escalate to a television expose or national enquiry, and in the process leave patients suffering and neglected.