For International Nurses Day (May 12), National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and Nurses Month (May), CGFNS International joins the international community in recognizing the admirable and invaluable contributions nurses make in the communities they serve in nursing our world back to health.
As an NGO in Consultative Status with the United Nations, CGFNS is committed to leveraging our expertise and partnerships with multinational organizations such as the World Health Organization to promote the nursing profession and the vital role it plays in reducing inequalities in achieving decent work and economic growth, gender equality, and good health and well-being for all. CGFNS has joined the WHO in extending recognition of the Year of the Nurse into 2021.
Learn more about how we celebrated the Year of the Nurse in 2020 >>
The International Council of Nurses’ theme for International Nurses Day 2021, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A Vision for Future Healthcare,” calls us to recognize how nurses’ experiences in the last year will inform how nursing is taught and practiced into the future, as well as its role in shaping what quality healthcare delivery looks like in a post-COVID world.
In doing so, we also pause to reflect on the commitment and sacrifices nurses have made and continue to make in the global fight against COVID-19 as they work to achieve last year’s theme, “Nursing the World to Health.”
Thousands of nurses took on highly visible roles on the frontlines of the pandemic—often protected by nothing more than plastic bag gowns and homemade masks. Not simply relegated to bedside roles, we saw nurses become vocal advocates and stewards of vulnerable populations whose challenges were only exacerbated by the pandemic. Countless others documented the effects of the pandemic on our health systems and workforces, or lent their expertise to policymaking in support of their fellow nurses and the public they serve.
Even nurses who were not directly involved in treating COVID patients risked burnout and exposure to the virus or violence each shift as they provided routine treatment or even just a comforting presence to their patients when loved ones were not allowed to visit.
Building on the Year of the Nurse extending into 2021, the American Nurses Association expanded National Nurses Week to National Nurses Month in May. The theme this year is, “Nurses Make a Difference.”
We couldn’t agree more; nurses are vital to the health of our communities before, during and after the pandemic. CGFNS is proud to have returned the favor over the last 44 years by making a difference in the lives of nurses seeking to advance their career or practice in a new country. We honor their service by joining the ANA in celebrating our nurse heroes, promoting their well-being and supporting their professional development.
Learn more about CGFNS’ services for nurses here >>
To nurses everywhere, thank you. Happy International Nurses Day and National Nurses Month.