Mrs Olajumoke Akinola, Head Nursing (Hospital Services) Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said this on Sunday to Newsmen in Lagos, on the occasion of the International Nurses Day.
She said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care” was apt and appropriate, as it highlighted the economic and societal benefits from investing in the nursing sector in Nigeria, saying their contributions could not be over estimated.
She said nothing could be too much in appreciating their roles in safeguarding the health of people, calling on all levels of government to invest more in their welfare and working environment.
International Nurses Day is observed on May 12 every year .
Besides, the day also marks the date of birth of Florence Nightingale, who laid the foundation for modern nursing.
The day aims to highlight the importance of nurses in the healthcare sector, and act as an opportunity to thank nurses for their efforts in taking care of patients round the clock.
According to Akinola, an effective nursing workforce will improve the wellbeing of people and community, in addition to enhancing patients’outcome in Nigeria’s health system.
“Investing in better health and wellbeing of the nurses will attract and retain skilled, committed nurses, which will invariably benefit everyone, Akinola said.
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She said the International Nurses Day was an opportunity to acknowledge the “amazing work that our highly skilled, committed and passionate nurses do day-in, day-out, to deliver excellent care”.
She added that every nurse deserved to be appreciated, to encourage them to do more.
She, however, called on nurses to imbibe and emulate Florence Nightingale, whom she described as “the mother of modern nursing”.
