Today we celebrate Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday on International Nurses’ Day in this, the International #YearoftheNurseandMidwife.
Nurses and midwives make up the largest numbers of the NHS workforce. 2020 is our time to reflect on the commitment and expert clinical care nurses and midwives bring, and the impact they make on the lives of so many.
Helen Blanchard, Director of Nursing and Quality at North Bristol NHS Trust said:
“This year we are facing a challenge beyond anything we have before, and it is amazing to see that everyone has embraced the changes and continued to work together as One NBT.
“Seeing many of our nursing and midwifery colleagues working in areas they don’t normally work, and supporting each other through these difficult times makes me more proud than ever to work alongside them as a fellow nurse.
“Sadly we have had to postpone many of our plans for this year, including our Proud to Care Conference, but we are recognising the incredible work of our nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and maternity care assistants with a hand clap at 1pm today in the atrium of Brunel and asking staff to nominate their teams for Director of Nursing Awards to be held later in the year.”
Our Fresh Arts Programme, funded by Southmead Hospital Charity, have joined together with the Regional Arts & Care Network to develop the latest phase of the Department of Kindness: “I See You” optician's boards, that are being installed for Florence Nightingale's bicentennial and International Nurses' Day in Southmead Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Weston General Hospital, Musgrove Park and the Nightingale Hospital Bristol.
The Department of Kindness is a project that celebrates kindness, using creativity to make it visible. The messages on the signs were inspired by artists Ali Brown, and her conversations with staff and patients at Southmead Hospital - they are Intended to be a reminder that all NHS staff are part of a bigger community which cares for them.
Southmead Hospital Charity have also today launched a fun and simple online challenge for everyone to do from home: 'Step Up for Southmead' can be found here (include hyperlink) everyone is challenged to replicate the daily footsteps of six of our NHS heroes with all sponsorship money supporting our Coronavirus Appeal to fund wellbeing innovations for our staff, and support for our patients here at North Bristol NHS Trust at this time.