It’s Nurses’ Day! A day to say thank you to all the amazing nurses and healthcare workers for all that they do, especially over this past year.
We are so proud of our team of stoma nurses, for their hard work and dedication to providing their patients with the best care, whilst adapting to a new way of working, in a digital landscape. For this International Nurses Day, we would like to celebrate with you, our nurses’ wonderful achievements, and share what being a nurse means to them, especially during a pandemic. Enjoy!
Starting 2021 off with a bang…
Earlier in the year, we had the the delight in announcing that our nurse, Helen, had been recognised in the Queen’s 2021 New Years Honours List, and was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to Cancer and Stoma Patients in Northern Ireland. You can read more about this fantastic achievement Helen’s reaction here.
Not only that, but two of our nurses, Alison and Helen, were shortlisted in the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2021 in the Stoma Care Nurse of the Year award, which was an incredible achievement! All of us from Respond are so proud of both of nurses for being finalists, you can then imagine our excitement when Helen went on to win the category for her outstanding contribution to stoma care nursing in Northern Ireland!
Congratulations Alison and Helen for your wonderful achievements! What a way to kickstart 2021! 🎉
So, what does being a nurse mean to our team of stoma nurses?
All our nurses deserve celebration for their dedication and commitment to providing their patients with the best care. Read below what being a nurse means to them, and let us know if you have any feedback you would like to pass back to our nurses by emailing us at [email protected]:
“I wanted to be a Nurse since I was 12 years old and last year celebrated 40 years in Nursing. I have never been disappointed in my choice of career and have been very privileged to care for many patients of all age groups both in the Hospital and community. Last year all Nurses had a new challenge within their roles with Covid. Every Nurse I know was eager to continue Nursing on the Frontline and didn’t want to shy away from this unknown pandemic, we wanted to continue making a difference to our patients and caring to the best of our ability for them even if their condition meant we couldnt make them better. As Respond Nurse Team Leader I have been very proud of our excellent Nursing Team and the way in which they have continued to provide a Nursing service in such challenging times. Nurses Day is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all Nurses.” – Alison, Nurse Team Leader
“As a nurse, I feel it (being a nurse) is about brining comfort to patients when they are at their most vulnerable. It has been especially important over this past year when I have felt vulnerable too. we would like to celebrate with you, our nurses’ wonderful achievements, and share what being a nurse means to them, especially during a pandemic.” – Pauline
“With the support of our entire team, we managed to provide our amazing service during the pandemic. Patients were delighted to see us and we were very happy to see them – even though it was through the safety of PPE!” – Helen
“I’m proud to be a nurse. Patients often say without us ‘where would they be?’, truthfully without the patients I have cared for I wouldnt be the nurse I am today. The Coronavirus pandemic left us all in the unknown world, being there to advise and reassure my patients who were left alone due to isolation and unsure was more significant than ever.” – Claire
“Nursing patients with such personal health needs in their own home is an absolute privilege. I feel able to support them both physically and emotionally, offering reassurance, particularly during such an unprecedented year. I have learnt so much about the amazing service we offer and proud to have managed through the year with the support of the whole Respond team.” – Lynette
“I have learned three major things during the pandemic: the importance of work, family, and value of life.” – Marta
“Despite the challenges we have recently faced, I am a nurse whose priority it is to provide care and support. A calming influence and always the patients’ advocate.” – Ruth
“I came into nursing because I had always wanted to be a nurse as a child. I could never have imagined how the pandemic of 2020 would have such an impact on nursing. Technology has provided an invaluable tool for supporting our patients, team working, and adapting to the challenge of working in a different environment, delivering patient care with empathy and compassion.” – Christine
We hope you have enjoyed learning a bit more about our amazing nurses, what being a nurse means to them and their fantastic achievements. To find out more about Nurses’ Day check out the Royal College of Nursing here, and to catch up with our International Nurses Day 2020 blog click here, where our team discussed how they were adapting to working, and their top tips on dealing with ostomy issues during a lockdown, and reaching out for support in isolation.
Our Nurse Team Leader, Alison, has also written an insightful blog about how the role of the nurse evolved during the pandemic, click here to check it out, and as always make sure to check out our social channels linked below to stay up to date with all our news!
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