Each year, global celebrations take place on International Nurses Day, which is traditionally held on 12 May, the anniversary of the birth of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.
This year’s celebrations were set to be extra special because 2020 has been designated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
To mark the occasion, health organisations across Barnsley had been planning a wide range of activities to demonstrate how the whole range of nursing roles are central to addressing a wide range of health challenges.
All the planning came before the coronavirus pandemic arrived but that hasn’t stopped Barnsley health chiefs taking time out to celebrate.
NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group’s chief nurse Jayne Sivakumar said that recognition for nurses in all types of roles is more important now than ever.
“Having the Year of the Nurse and Midwife coincide with Florence Nightingale’s 200th anniversary gives us an excellent opportunity to join in with nurses across the world and recognise our local nurses for everything they do.” she said.
She added: “All around the world and right here in Barnsley, nurses are working tirelessly to provide the care and attention people need, whenever and wherever they need it.
“This day is a chance to highlight that nurses are central to the delivery of health care, that nurses are making an invaluable contribution to the health of people globally.
“There are so many different nursing roles and we care, treat and support people from birth to death. I hope people will join me in celebrating all our wonderful nurses.
“Their clinical expertise and compassion means they make a tough job look easy. They offer reassurance, a squeeze of the hand when people need it the most. Whether they are a nurse out in the community going into people’s home, working in a GP surgery, on the wards in the local hospital or hospice, working with children and families or in specialist mental health services, I am so proud of every one of them and proud to be one of them.”