Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has celebrated International Nurses Day to recognise the vital role nurses play in healthcare.
International Nurses Day is observed around the world on May 12 in celebration of the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Widely considered as the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale spent her life promoting the establishment and development of the profession.
“As the largest component of the healthcare workforce, nurses have constant interaction with our patients and their families, and have a tremendous impact on the patient experience. Nurses are key members of the multidisciplinary care teams that serve our patients and their families,” said Dr Badriya al-Lenjawi, executive director of nursing, Corporate Nursing and Midwifery Department.
“Today’s nurses are highly-skilled leaders, with advanced degrees, who are playing an integral role in the transformation of healthcare in Qatar. It is important that we encourage Qatar’s younger generation, in particular, to seek a career in nursing. The nursing profession represents a great opportunity for Qataris to exhibit noble values and to become respected leaders,” added Dr al-Lenjawi.
Pauline Cadampog, a staff nurse at Rumailah Hospital’s Long Term Care Unit, said: “Being a nurse means making a difference to someone’s life. For me, it means being the hands of a patient who can’t grasp or walking for someone who is wheelchair-bound. At the end of the day, I want to know that I have done a good deed. I am truly blessed to be a nurse,” said Cadampog. 
In acknowledgment of the day, a number of events were held across HMC’s network of hospitals, including events organised by the Home Healthcare Services, Heart Hospital and the National Center for Cancer Care and Research. An event at Hamad General Hospital saw more than a hundred nurses from that hospital recognised for long service, with each having served more than 25 years at HMC.
With more than 8,500 men and women working as nurses in its hospitals and clinics, nurses form the largest group of staff at HMC.
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