Remember Nurses on International Nurses Day!

Every year on the anniversary of nurses the world over, men and women take a moment to celebrate nurses.  Wherever you are, give a cheer for nurses, because without them, we might not even be here! 

 

Warriors the World Over 

There have been many types of healthcare workers for as long as there have been people, however today I want to take a moment and celebrate nurses.  From the Philippines, to Ireland, from Italy to New York, these men and women the world over have been working overtime to assist doctors in caring for us and our loved ones.  While most of the world had the opportunity to pause their busy lives and stay home to keep their loved ones safe from an invisible enemy, these workers have not had that luxury.  They have had to work without proper equipment, deal with medical bureaucracy, and even self isolate from loved ones in order to keep them safe. 

A Little Background 

Nurses always rise to the occasion.  Perhaps the first nurse, Florence Nightingale is known as the first modern nurse.  A woman educated in statistics, she lead a team of 38 nurses during the Crimean War. It was this remarkable woman who established a nursing school, and elevated nursing into an occupation to be revered by all. Over the years nursing has gone back and forth across gender lines, sometimes being majority men, and other times being majority women.  Today, there is a mix of male and female nurses.  The countries with the most nurses are: 

1. Finland 
2. Ireland 
3. Netherland 
4. Switzerland
5. Australia 

In case you are wondering Canada is number 7, the UK is 14, the US is number 14 and Italy is number 17 on that list.  Before we praise or criticize any countries on these numbers, we have to realize that nursing school is no joke.  Only 59% of full-time students make it to graduation.  Many site the lack of support, school politics or difficulty of the program as reasons why they were unable to finish the program.  

Let’s Celebrate Them!

So how can we help these smart men and women who have endured a lot before they became registered nursed? Here are some ideas: 

• Sew CDC’s pattern of cloth face masks for our friends and family members who are nurses 
• Put up signs for your neighbors saying you appreciate their efforts and love them 
• Send thank you cards to the nurses in your lives 
• Stay healthy! You can use this guide to jump start your fitness goals. 
• As things open up, maintain social distancing guidelines.  

Get In On the Fight

Perhaps the best way to support nurses is to help them in the fight against invisible enemies.  The world needs 6 million more nurses according to the WHO.  Many RN programs are two years long and a BSN program is four years long.  Nurses work all kinds of shifts, in all kinds of environments (clinics, hospitals, urgent care centers), and is one of the most flexible career choices for moms. If it is something you have been thinking about for a long time, but haven’t move on, there is no time like the present to join this team of international warriors!