On May 12th, we celebrated International Nurses Day. Nurses across the world were recognised for their commitment, compassion and for their daily contributions to society.

International Nurses Day was first established in 1974 by the International Council of Nurses and serves to highlight the important role nurses fulfil in health and social care.

This year the theme was ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health’, recognising that investments and opportunities need to be made available in nursing to secure global health and nurses’ rights while creating a safe and protected environment for nurses. 

In Glasgow, to mark the occasion, our HSCP organised a variety of events to acknowledge and say thank you to all the nurses on or around International Nurses Day.

Our Chief Nurse, Julia Egan, and Acting Chief Nurse for Adult Services, Lorrain Cribbin, hosted online webinars to celebrate International Nurses Day. The webinars were aimed at saying thank you to all the HSCP’s nurses but also served as an opportunity to promote nursing as a voice to lead. In addition, the sessions were open for all to share experiences and reflect on the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic created. 

In the Gartnavel Mental Health Unit, nurses were invited to stop by a stall on International Nurses Day to enjoy a hot drink and a snack as well as being encouraged to take the time to share stories and reflections. 

Alcohol Drug and Recovery Services celebrated by focusing on the importance of wellbeing, therefore, on International Nurses Day they planned some 'time to talk and reflect' events. Nurse Team Leaders hosted a coffee morning and started a conversation and celebration with nursing staff and the wider teams.

In Prison Health Care, Healthy Working Lives sponsored celebratory tea and sandwich sessions for nurses. They used these sessions to relax and take some time to reflect and nominate colleagues for an International Nurses Day recognition award.

Sandyford Sexual Health Services also organised an event for staff to come together and celebrate nursing. 

Lorraine Cribbin, Acting Chief Nurse for Adult Services said: “International Nurses Day is the perfect time to take some time to reflect with colleagues and share the proud stories of your rich career experience of being a nurse. I want to send a huge thank you for your ongoing commitment, professionalism, and unique contribution to person-centred care for the citizens of Glasgow. Please enjoy your day, be proud and celebrate your success and achievements.”