Day to honour nurses’ efforts

INTERNATIONAL Nurses’ Day will cut through the generations at Mercy Place Westcourt, as retired nurses who are now residents of the aged care home celebrate their careers of caring alongside current nursing staff.

Among those who will be reminiscing with a celebratory morning tea is retired nurse and current Mercy Health resident Ina Greenwood, who was born in New South Wales but moved to Gordonvale after meeting her husband Roy, a cane farmer.

International Nurses’ Day is an annual celebration of nursing held across the globe on May 12 – Florence Nightingale’s birthday – and which pays tribute to the nursing profession and the contribution of nurses worldwide.

Mercy Place Westcourt service manager Angela Cox said International Nurses’ Day provided an important opportunity to celebrate nursing.

“Mercy Place Westcourt is very fortunate to have a wonderful team of dedicated and professional nurses and we think Florence Nightingale’s birthday is the perfect time to acknowledge them for their dedication and levels of care, which are second to none,” she said.

A cake-cutting was also held at Cairns Hospital yesterday to celebrate the nurses working within the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. There are currently 2852 nurses working across the health service, which makes up 49.1 per cent of the entire CHHHS workforce.

There are a variety of nursing degrees and programs offered by James Cook University, CQUniversity and TAFE North.