Nurses "have proved how resilient they are" in the face of adversity

Friday 11 December 2020

Local nurses and midwives have been praised for adopting new ways of working and proving their resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges.

The work of the Bailiwick’s nursing professionals was showcased at a packed event at Government House this week, as part of the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife celebrations.

More than 60 practising Bailiwick nurses and midwives joined Lady Kathryn Corder for a reception in the ballroom, together with Health & Social Care Committee President, Deputy Al Brouard. The event was originally scheduled to take place in May to coincide with the 200^th anniversary of the birth of visionary nurse and leader, Florence Nightingale. 

Pictured: There are 970 nurses and 53 midwives working across the public and private sectors. 

Karen Leach, Head of Community Health and Social Care, addressed the reception on behalf of Guernsey’s nurses and midwives.

"At the start of 2020 we could never have imagined how poignant a year it was going to be to recognise the work of nurses and midwives," she said. "On behalf of the Bailiwick nursing and midwifery community I am delighted that that we are receiving this recognition today."

"Florence Nightingale once said: “Unless we are making progress in our nursing every year, every month, every week, take my word for it, we are going back.”

"We have certainly made progress this year. We have proved how resilient we are, how quickly we can adopt new ways of working and how we never down tools, no matter what risks we face. But we still face challenges. We need to continue doing all we can to promote nursing and midwifery as appealing professions in the Bailiwick."

Pictured: Nurses were all set to take strike action earlier this year over unresolved pay talks, however that was cancelled after the corona virus arrived in the island. 

Lady Corder, whose nursing career in the UK spanned 24 years, commented: "The fact that this event was delayed for six months due to a public health emergency only serves to highlight the value of nursing. Both as individuals and families, we all rely at some point on the dedication and compassion of our nurses and midwives. We simply could not function as a community without them, yet the world is facing an acute shortage of trained professionals."

"Sadly we don’t have the space to host all of the Bailiwick’s nurses and midwives, but I’m delighted to be able to meet and thank so many practicing representatives from across the profession for the life-changing work that they do for Islanders. I think it’s so important that we recognise and celebrate that."