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The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is highlighting the wide scope of ways nurses shape the health of all Australians to mark International Nurses Day.

Held on 12 May each year to acknowledge the anniversary of Florence Nightingale鈥檚 birth in 1820, the global day of celebration is an International Council of Nurses initiative that shines a spotlight on the crucial role nurses play in providing care at all stages of life, from birth to death.

鈥淭his International Nurses Day, I want Australians to reflect on how the expertise of a nurse has improved their health or that of a loved one in the last 12 months. Maybe they cared for your child, vaccinated you against COVID-19 or provided crucial support to a family member in their last moments,鈥� said ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 theme is 鈥楴urses: A Voice to Lead 鈥� Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health鈥�. Nursing is the nation鈥檚 largest professional group. With more than 400,000 nurses in Australia, we have the ability to influence the health of the nation and significantly impact global health and universal health care. All decision-makers and politicians should be seeking our expert advice and solutions to address health disparity,鈥� said Ward.

鈥淲e are highly trained professionals who have specialist qualifications up to and including masters and doctorate level. Our workplaces are diverse and include schools, prisons, hospitals, residential aged-care facilities, general practices, universities and the home of those consumers we care for, just to name a few.

鈥淲hether you live in a rural town, regional centre or capital city, you can be assured a nurse is providing compassionate and expert care to those who need it most. We are leaders in our communities and this is reflected in our consistent rating as one of the most trusted and ethical professions in public surveys.

鈥淔or the last two years, our profession has put our daily lives on hold to lead our communities through the challenges and uncertainties of multiple waves of COVID-19 and natural disasters.

鈥淲e have donned uncomfortable PPE, isolated from our families and forgone our leave to cope with increased demand, especially during the Christmas and holiday periods. Most of us have barely had a day off and we know the pandemic is far from over, particularly as winter looms.

鈥淒espite this, my colleagues continue to show exceptional leadership and courage in the face of prolonged adversity 鈥� traits which epitomise our profession and make me incredibly proud to be a nurse. This International Nurses Day, I look forward to celebrating our collective achievements and the lasting difference we make to the lives of those we care for,鈥� Ward said.

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/Blue Planet Studio