Celebrating International Nurses Day 2020

Every year, International Nurses Day provides us with a precious moment to reflect on the nursing profession and the many contributions made by nurses here in Australia and around the globe.

As the central pillar of patient care - and almost every other aspect of healthcare - there is no denying nurses can make a difference, showing up time and time again when they’re needed most, individually and collectively. And in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this could not be truer than it is today.

The International Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Near the end of 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 2020 was to be recognized around the world as The International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. With the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth being marked on May 12th, the celebration of The Year of the Nurse and Midwife gained even more meaning from the historical perspective of the nursing profession’s humble yet crucial beginnings compared to the illustrious place where nurses stand today.