General News
12 May, 2020
International Nurses Day
Today is International Nurses Day It’s celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birt
Today is International Nurses Day, it’s celebrated around the world on May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
The aim of International Nurses Day is to highlight the tireless work nurses do, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the virus emergency had created challenges for many, none were tougher than for our world-class health professionals working on the frontline.
“Today, May 12, marks the day Florence Nightingale, was born. Her pioneering work during the Crimean War focused on the importance of sanitation and hygiene including hand washing,” Minister Hunt said.
“These hygiene principles are now at the heart of Australia’s coronavirus response.”
Minister Hunt said there are more than 390,000 nurses registered in Australia.
“Today is a day when all Australians should stand as one and applaud our amazing nurses,” he said.
Tanya Barker who is the Nurse Unit Manager at the Mareeba Hospital and works in the COVID-19 ward said International Nurses Day was an important day for all nurses.
“It’s a time for reflection on what we do, how we do it and how far we have come,” she said.
Ms Barker said that the importance of hygiene that was installed by Florence Nightingale is more important than ever during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hygiene is paramount during the COVID pandemic; we are definitely honouring her memory by upskilling and educating the community about hand washing,”
