The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role nurses play in the health care sector.
That’s the view of the South African Nurses Council as the world marks International Nurses Day on Wednesday.
The day celebrates and honours the contributions made by these professionals across the globe.
The day, which commemorates the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the first “professional nurse” is observed on May 12.
The theme this year is Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare.
SA Nurses Council CEO Sizeni Mchunu says that in the last year, nurses have faced tremendous challenges, with long hours and an increase in patients at healthcare facilities.
He says many nurses were also forced to leave their families and live in separate quarters during the pandemic.
“It will always take a health crisis to really bring it to the spotlight and remind our communities that there is no health system without a nurse. And really what the pandemic has demonstrated to all of us is that the health system of a country is as strong as its nursing force and if you look at the real 24/7 health service, it is guaranteed because of the presence of the nurse, even in the absence of the other health professionals,” says Sizeni.
Challenges amid pandemic
The day also comes as nurses are on the frontline in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic, with scores across the world having been infected and even died from the virus.
While the day is meant to honour and celebrate nurses, it is also a reminder of the many challenges nurses face while executing their duties.
Nurse and General-Secretary of the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union, Rich Sicina, says even before the pandemic, South Africa’s public healthcare system was still under dire straits.
He laments the difficult conditions under which nurses have to work, saying the government has not done much to improve their working conditions:
