Celebrating International Nurses’ Day 2023
Thank you to all our NCH&C nursing staff
“I’m delighted to be writing to you on International Nurses’ Day. Today is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution and commitment of our nursing colleagues. I would personally like to say thank you to all our nursing staff for their continued dedication and compassion – today and every day.
The theme this year is ‘Our Nurses. Our Future.’ It’s one that really resonates with me, and I hope it will inspire lots of you too. Nursing through the global pandemic was undoubtedly tough and exhausting and saw us all working under challenging conditions for a prolonged period. The last three years have repeatedly been described as unprecedented, though many of the changes to our ways of working have become business as usual.
But the past year brought new and just as unprecedented times. Recovering from the pandemic – personally, professionally, and as a national health service – while coping with the turbulence of a cost-of-living crisis and industrial action has meant another difficult year for frontline staff. We recognise the ever-present challenges you each face and thank you for your continued resilience and compassion.
Reflecting on the theme for International Nurses’ Day 2023, I am keen to think about the ways we can highlight and showcase the vital role nurses play in delivering healthcare today, and how we will continue to in the future.
I would love to hear your thoughts about why you chose nursing as a profession and your hopes for the difference you would make as a nurse. What can we take from the last few years of challenging experiences? How can this help us ensure we continue to adapt and proactively plan for a brighter future for our staff and patients?
Later today I am presenting to a group of Year 10 pupils at a Norwich secondary school as part of this year’s NHS 75 anniversary celebrations. I’m thrilled to be given the chance to talk about my genuine joy and pride of working as a nurse for 37 years and to raise the profile of the crucial role of community health and care staff among young people thinking about their future careers. I hope my words will encourage and inspire some of them to consider a future in the NHS.
I am so proud of what our nurses continue to do at NCH&C and want to extend my heartfelt thanks, once again, to you all.
Carolyn Fowler, Director of Nursing & Quality at NCH&C