SOLOMON Islands joined the world to celebrate the International Nurses Day on Monday.
The International Nurse’s Day is celebrated on 12 May annually to commemorate the birthday of the founding mother of nursing Florence Nightingale who was born in 1820.
The theme for this year’s International Nurse’s Day is, “Our Nurses Our Future the Economic Power of Care.”
As stated by Chair of Solomon Islands Nursing Council Board Michael Larui, the theme, emphasized the critical importance of nursing in shaping the future of healthcare and acknowledges the economic impact of nursing.
For Solomon Islands nurses, they were challenged by the Minister of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Dr Paul Popora Bosawai in his keynote address to serve as the founding mother Florence Nightingale who was the first nursing leader in the world when she was just 16 years old.
Ms Nightingale was a dedicated Christian who believed that it was the calling of God for her to become a nurse to help people and thus, her dedication to the nursing profession helped revolutionize the modern nursing industry.
Ms Nightingale’s history and the history of Nursing in Solomon Islands can be found in another article.
In regards to Florence’s story, Dr Bosawai challenged all nurses in the country during the celebration to serve as the founding mother by serving the people of Solomon Islands wholeheartedly and willingly.
“Under this year’s International Nurses Day theme: Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care, we are encouraged to be aware and informed about the return on investment that adequate funding in nursing can provide, especially in financially turbulent times such as these.
“A challenge to you my good nurses of Solomon Islands is that while the government and our development partners are investing in the nursing profession, I call on nurse leaders and registered nurses to continue to be like the Florence Nightingale in committing yourself to this profession and serving our people in the name of the nursing profession.”
Dr Bosawai said the issues of absenteeism and punctuality concerns, corrupt practices, conflicts of interest and attitude are issues that continues to challenge the profession and put the nursing profession’s integrity and credibility online but practices can be corrected, and situations can be improved as we try to strive to deliver improved health service delivery to our people of this happy isles.
“As I close let me again remind all my nurses and nurse midwives gathered here and around the country that Florence Nightingale the founder of modern nursing underwent the first several experiences that she believed were calls from God, prompting a strong desire to devote her life to the service of others.
“The Nursing profession is a Godly ministry and as late Florence felt that nursing is a calling, I believe all of you who have joined the profession equally feels the same; that you are called to be a nurse and not merely recruited to be one.
“Such calling requires the values of love, compassion, courage and devotion. As you celebrate this day, may you have a renewed heart to continue serving our people, your fellow citizens of this beloved country simply because of the fact that you are called by God our creator to this solemn profession.
“Take a small piece of Florence’s tenacity to always put yourselves last and the patient first, and to work as a team to positively impact those who have entrusted us to provide care,” Dr Bosawai said.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
