Message from Minister Dr Frank Anthony International Nurses’ Day 2022

Today, (May 12^th) Guyana joins the rest of the world to observe International Nurses Day 2022 under the theme, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health”.

On May 12^th annually, nurses around the world celebrate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, a British nurse who was known as the foundational philosopher of modern nursing. She established St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in the year 1860. Her efforts to reform healthcare, greatly influenced the quality of care in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Each year the International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates International Nurses Day with the production and distribution of promotional and educational materials. These materials are intended to emphasis the dedicated and innovative work performed by nurses worldwide, which is vital not only to the improvement of patient health but also to the advancement of health care on national and international levels. This day’s observance also serves to highlight the important role of nurses in health care and their unique contributions to society at large.

Over the years, Guyana has made significant strides in nursing. Nurses are now able to benefit from specialty programs such as Emergency Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Anesthesia, Neonatal Care and Surveillance. Nursing education has evolved significantly with an increase in educational facilities, private institutions and pursuance of the Masters in Public Health (MPH).

The global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world the important role that nurses play in keeping people healthy across the lifespan. While there was significant disruption to health care, there was also significant innovation that has improved access to care. Nurses were provided with Personal Protective Equipment and other paraphernalia to protect them while caring for patients. COVID-19 Vaccines were also made available to health care workers and the people of Guyana through the Ministry of Health to provide adequate protection from the COVID-19 disease.

The Ministry of Health recognises the efforts and hard work of nurses across Guyana to provide quality health care to patients at various health facilities, and would like to applaud their efforts.

Today, we extend profound appreciation to all nurses across Guyana for their commitment towards good service delivery and their dedication to helping our country combat COVID-19 and achieve herd immunity. We salute you!

Happy International Nurses Day!