Sutherland Hospital nurses gathered together to celebrate International
Nurses’ Day at a barbeque held at Sutherland Hospital on Monday 12 May.
This year’s International Nurses’ Day celebrations also marked the birth date of
Florence Nightingale who, through her close association with Sydney Hospital’s
Lucy Osborn, brought the Nightingale nursing system to Australia in 1868.
Nurses took part in a number of activities on the day including a Florence
Nightingale look-alike competition, with the first prize awarded to joint
winners, Registered Nurse Joelene Sutton and Enrolled Nurse Simon Last.
Nurse Unit Manager Killara Acute Ward, Melissa Linardon was presented with an
award for Outstanding Clinical Leadership and Registered Nurse, Busani NcCube,
was presented with the Preceptor of the Year Award.
A lively debate was also held where opposing panels comprising management staff
and educators, argued their cases for and against whether Nursing Care was
better in 1958. The educators debating the negative won convincingly.
Sutherland Hospital’s Director of Nursing Bronwyn Carruthers said that there
were more than 560 nursing full-time equivalents employed at Sutherland Hospital
and in the community, which represented in excess of 53 per cent of the total
workforce at Sutherland Hospital.
“The nursing profession cares for people of all ages and from all walks of life,
and is one of the most interesting, rewarding and challenging career paths to
follow,” Ms Carruthers said.
“With advances in technology the nursing profession has seen many changes over
the years. Computers are now major tools for monitoring and recording
vital signs, keeping records, and providing central networks for interactive
diagnosis.
“However, compassionate understanding, empathy and care are the fundamental
qualities of nursing,’ she said.
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