Doha: Qatar will join countries across the world in marking International Nurses Day recognising the courageous work of nurses in face of COVID-19, tomorrow.
“Nurses are critical to delivering care no matter what the situation. In times such as a pandemic, nurses have been even more flexible adapting to different and challenging situations to ensure patient’s needs are met no matter what,” Julie Smith, Chief Nursing Officer at Sidra Medicine told The Peninsula.
International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day observed around the world on May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth of each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.
Due to the worldwide pandemic and the safety measures put in place at Sidra Medicine, activities will be virtual and we will be focusing on profiling individual nurses and midwives.
“We want to demonstrate the diversity of the career pathways that nursing offers along with the skill, knowledge and training our nurses have,” said Smith.
“Nursing is a profession built on science, evidence based practice delivered with care and compassion. With nurses being one of the largest workforce at Sidra Medicine, it is without a doubt one of the most important professions here in our hospital. Throughout a patient’s journey receiving care, nurses are the most frequent caregivers they come across and their interactions with their nurses can make a huge difference in their experience. The important work that nurses do within the walls of any hospital and certainly at Sidra Medicine cannot be overstated,” she added.
Though Sidra Medicine is not a hospital designated to treat COVID-19 patients, nurses are still at a risk of getting infected and measures have been taken to protect them.
“All of our staff are screened on arrival at the hospital every day and we have a dedicated telephone line for them to call staffed by trained personnel if they themselves feel unwell, or are worried about anything related to their health. All our inpatients as well as their guardians and companions who will be staying with them in the hospital, are also tested for COVID-19 prior to their admission,” said Smith.
“Clear guidance and training is in place for all staff on the wearing of PPE it is critically important that the appropriate PPE is worn in every situation, this is readily available to all our staff,” she added. Also all Sidra Medicine nurses are aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and there are clear pathways to follow in line with Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, should a patient show any of these signs or symptoms.
This year’s International Nurses Day theme builds on the international year of the nurse and midwife as set by the WHO, recognising the impact nurses and midwives make on global health on a daily basis.
