Happy International Nurses Day!

International Nurses Day is a chance for the nursing community to come together to celebrate the wonderful work which nurses do for patients, families and colleagues across the globe.

Here at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), our fabulous nurses were able to take a brief break from their duties, enjoy a well-deserved slice of cake and a cuppa with colleagues.

Alison Robertson, GOSH’s new Chief Nurse gave a short speech on how International Nurses Day is a chance for nurses to take stock on what they have achieved and celebrate what it means to be a nurse – a career choice Alison has never regretted making.

With this year’s theme focusing on leadership, we mingled and managed to ask some of our nursing colleagues why they chose nursing as their profession.

“Nursing is an extension of motherhood – demonstrating care and being organised. It’s also a privilege to work with patients and families on their journey,” explained Neuromuscular Research Nurse, Terri Crowley.

Nana Akwah, was inspired to become a nurse as a mature student. “My son was admitted to Guy’s Hospital and I was so impressed with the care, kindness and professionalism of the staff that I decided to train to join the same profession.”

Joy Mugas described nursing as a “calling”. “I have always enjoyed working with people and caring for them. After high school in the Philippines it’s what I wanted to do as I saw nursing as an extension of the care the family is able to provide.”

Rose Braithwaite added: “I’d always wanted to work with children… it’s very rewarding working with patients and their families in a challenging part of their lives.”

Nigel Mills, Transition Improvement Manager confirmed the profession offered him an “opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives”.

We’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Terri, Nana, Joy, Rose, Nigel and all our nursing colleagues at GOSH for the work they do and also the wider nursing global community. Enjoy your day!

If you feel inspired to join our fabulous nursing team, explore our nursing pages on our website.