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COMMENDED for their contribution to the healthcare fraternity, Netcare The Bay Hospital nursing staff were honoured for their commitment, dedication and love given to patients at a function on Monday.
This was in commemoration of International Nurses Day (Monday 12 May) which is celebrated around the globe and marks the contributions nurses make to society.
Netcare’s Shannon Nell said nursing is a challenging profession which requires a very special and caring type of individual.
Nurses are a universal symbol of compassion and are, more often than not, the first point of care for patients in need.
‘New entrants to nursing will be surprised by the wide range of specialties they can pursue.
‘Someone wanting to become a nurse needs to appreciate the profession is a science and an art dedicated to the service of others.
‘Nursing professionals need to be willing to take care of people who are at their most vulnerable.
‘The best nurses have a desire to make a difference in other people’s lives,’ she said.
Meanwhile during 2013, Netcare’s approximately 10 000 nurses touched the lives of a staggering 1.2 million patients in the group’s hospitals throughout the country.
Nurses working in the emergency departments of Netcare hospitals helped resuscitate nearly 30 000 patients and provided invaluable care and support to just under 1 000 rape survivors in their darkest hour.
Additionally, in just one of the many community outreach initiatives in which Netcare nurses are involved, they trained 112 000 people in trauma injury prevention.
Career
Nell said in the United States of America the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethics for the past 12 years.
However, around the world, and particularly in South Africa, the work of nurses remains greatly underestimated and undervalued.
‘But for those individuals who have a passion for it, nursing is a very rewarding profession.
‘There is a dire need for nurses who have experience, expertise and skill.’