A series of activites being held to celebrate the tireless efforts of nurses in St. Kitts-Nevis
Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 13, 2019 (SKNIS): To acknowledge and celebrate the tireless efforts of nurses in St. Kitts and Nevis, a series of activities is being held from May 10 to 31 to coincide with International Nurses’ Day, 2019, says Honourable Wendy C. Phipps, Minister of State and Minister with responsibility for Health, Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs.
The Minister announced this during her address to the nation in recognition of the day, which was celebrated on May 12. International Nurses’ Day was held under the theme “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Health for All.”
An Annual Luncheon and Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, May 10 for 72 nursing and allied staff members of the JNF General Hospital, based on their performance in 2018. A Graduation Ceremony for Nursing Attendants of Batch # XIV, who successfully completed the mandatory 12-week training programme, was also held on Friday, May 10.
In addition, a Candlelight Service was held on May 10 at St. Barnabas Anglican Chapel on Fort Thomas Road, Basseterre.
A Nursing Symposium was also held on Monday, May 13, at JNF General Hospital’s classroom.
General Election & Installation of the Newly Elected Board for the St. Kitts Nurses Association are slated for Friday, May 24 and Friday, May 31, respectively.
Honourable Phipps went on to say, “Our Team Unity Government uses this opportunity of International Nurses’ Day 2019 to congratulate all of our nurses. The Government, and in particular, our Ministry of Health, acknowledges fully that jobs in the nursing field are anything but slight undertakings. All of our dedicated, knowledgeable and conscientious nurses know quite well what it means to be fully vested in the care and management of their patients.”
Several special events have also been ongoing in Nevis, in celebration of Nurses’ Week 2019.
International Nurses’ day is a special day to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale and to mark her contributions towards the betterment of health for human beings.
Nurses’ day was first proposed by Dorothy Sutherland (an officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in the year 1953 and first proclaimed by President Eisenhower. It was then celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965 as a means to celebrate the irreplaceable contribution of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.