International Nurses Day: Celebrating the Best of Nursing

On 12 of May each year, International Nurses Day is an opportunity to reflect on the dedication and hard work that nurses do every single day. This year, as part of the RCN’s ‘Best of Nursing’ campaign, we asked our Thornbury nurses to share their stories of the amazing work of colleagues and their own experiences.

Janet – “How I treat others in my care is imperative…”

“My ’Best of Nursing’ story was during the peak of the pandemic. Whilst working in A&E on a busy long shift, I was unaware that one of my patients took very keen interest in the way I led my team. I was the nurse in change of the Ambulatory Care Unit/GP admissions. The patient commented about the way in which I go about my day with charm and a smile, and made sure colleagues had their breaks no matter how busy we were. I was always calm and in control. This was posted in one of the charity blogs at my trust at the time.

REFLECTION: This encouraged me immensely as we were all going through the dark days of COVID-19. Teamwork is vital, but importantly, how I conduct myself and how I treat others, including patients, is imperative. I continue to be a champion of high standards of care no matter how busy or whatever situation I may find myself in.”

Elizabeth – “I take my hat off to these nurses and I think they deserve recognition for the work they do…”

“I am a nurse myself and was admitted to Bournemouth Hospital in January with COVID. I would like to highlight the excellent care I and the other patients on my ward received. As I lay in my bed barely able to move around, I watched with fascination and gratitude at the patience, consideration and tireless attitudes of the staff. Nothing was too small or too big. We were made to feel special and worthy. I was highly impressed, and I was constantly worried that the staff were overworking themselves, but they were so cheerful and noncomplaining. I take my hat off to these nurses and I think they deserve recognition for the work they do. Cheers to the nurses that took care of me and thank you.” 

Anastesia – “Helping vulnerable patients achieve positive outcomes has remained strong in me…”

“My experience as a clinical nurse in the UK has filled the gap I longed for since I joined the nursing force. It was challenging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the resilience and compassion to forever help vulnerable patients achieve positive outcomes has remained strong in me. I have received hearty feedback from my patients and relatives during and after their hospital journey.”

Christine – “I am proud to work as a nurse…”

I am proud to work as a nurse. But quite often, when nurses and members of the multi-disciplinary team are on duty in their uniforms, it is very easy to forget that all these caring professional people who are always giving more than 100% are all people with families/friends dealing privately with their own individual hardships.

I met a hard-working professional care worker, but the uniform masks the fact that she is also a hard-working single parent with three children using the food bank to survive. Amazingly, this woman goes to work with a big smile delivering care to patients.

A small quote I saw on a billboard whilst driving home after a 12-hour shift caught my attention and really resonated with me: “If today was a bad day just remember, it is only one day in the rest of your life. Tomorrow is a new day “

Garry – “Agency nurses can and do make a difference to clinical environment…”

“I have recently completed my Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) training through Canterbury Christ Church. This course has helped me as an agency nurse to support staff members on wards who are feeling the daily pressure we face throughout the NHS, whether that be due to staff shortages or increased acuity. Using my newly acquired knowledge, I have helped staff advocate for education quality improvement. Offering restorative supervision in a safe environment to staff can help with constructive reflection, study options and increased levels of resilience. It also empowers them to make changes within their clinical area. I hope along my journey as a new PNA that I can offer continued support to staff. Agency nurses can and do make a difference to clinical environments, ultimately improving patient care and supporting staff health and well-being.”

Thank you to all Thornbury nurses across England and Wales for being there at the shortest of notice, caring for our loved ones and most importantly, for being a nurse! ❤️