International Nurses’ Day

It is my great pleasure today to wish all nurses in Ireland a very happy International Nurses’ Day.

While this day – 12 May – is set aside as 24 hours each year to pay tribute to those in our profession, I know from my own experience that we strive to provide valuable patient experiences all year round. So, I would like to pay tribute to you all, as the standout profession as you make a 24/7 and 365-day contribution to our healthcare services. 

I was in my early twenties when I joined the profession as a student nurse and from the day I stepped foot into class or ‘block’ as some of us would have known it, it was like turning a key in some internal lock and I knew I was home. 

And that is why nursing is one of those professions you will succeed in when you have a love for what you do. 

Over the past two years, you have shown yet again a resilience and dedication which enhanced the profession to levels higher than we thought were achievable as you worked through a pandemic and continued to offer care, compassion and commitment to the highest of standards. 

This doesn’t surprise me. As someone who has followed the career path from student, to ward staff nurse to intensive care and then management (with a little side bar to Australia), I have seen first-hand the professionalism of so many wonderful colleagues. 

Education has been fundamental to my career every step of the way, from my first positive engagement in academic third level studies with my Higher Diploma in Intensive Care Nursing, then my Master of Science in Nursing Education, and my latest studies on strategy, change and innovation. Throughout my time in nursing, education has broadened my mind and helped me develop into a stronger more capable nurse, which can only serve patients better. 

In my role with NMBI I am privileged to be in a position to help shape our professions for the future, to help deliver even better outcomes for patients while maintaining the core of what we do. 

So my message for you, my nursing colleagues, is this: Continue to learn. Continue to develop your  career. The sky is the limit. 

On this very special day – Happy International Nurses Day.