International nurse day. Today more than ever.
International Council of Nurses designates this date in memory Florence Nightingale founder of modern nursing sciences born on May 12, 1820.
International nurse day
The National Federation of Ipasvi Colleges has supported the International Nurse Day since 1992 to strongly underline the commitment of Italian nurses in the ward: a real alliance both with patients and with families. Nurses who always claim to be on the patient’s side. And, right now, we are all good or bad patients.
The 12th of May is then an opportunity to make the nursing profession “speak a little about itself”. It is important, today more than ever, for those masked men and women who have always held much of the health in the shade. Every assistance job is sacrifice, not only physical, but above all psychological. We understood it in these times (maybe). Together with the specialist doctors, the nurses came to the fore and we learned to appreciate them. To love them.
International nurse day in time of #Covid-19
They, the nurses, have not deserted the “trench”, a “front line that is more risky than ever, indeed, many have chosen to reach it as volunteers demonstrating a sense of extraordinary community. Marked in the face by rubber laces and masks, by endless nights, from the pain of those who did not breathe in intensive care, they held out.
The response to the #INFERMIERIPERCOVID civil protection ordinance is worrying. Although each was already assigned to different positions, ten thousand responded from all over Italy. We should never forget it. And we must not forget the infected nurses, or those in quarantine, isolated from families, sleeping in a camper after endless shifts. Or many who, in order not to risk infecting their loved ones, have rented makeshift accommodation. At their expense. To our exclusive profit.
Nursing sciences
Despite suits, goggles, masks, gloves and all other precautions, the nursing staff was and is heavily exposed. We know that Italian graduates in nursing sciences are among the most qualified and in demand in the world, and have been able to withstand the shock wave. But there have been falls. Among nurses there was the largest number of positive health workers in Covid, around 52%. There are those who missed. We should bring memory and awareness of it. Not just on May 12th.
Italian healthcare
We remember therefore today, but also tomorrow and in a year, what was the response of almost 10 thousand professionals to the call of the Civil Protection for a task force of 500 nurses to be assigned to the areas most at risk. We remember, above the fabric of their masks, which human eyes, afraid, tenacious, full of stories. Stories that have been put aside to serve. To allow us to breathe again.
Hartfelt thanks.
