Over 900 nurses and midwives join HMC event to mark Int’l Nurses Day
HAMAD Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Corporate Nursing and Midwifery Department recently held a special educational and celebratory event for more than 900 nurses and midwives in recognition of International Nurses Day.
“Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our healthcare system, and we are proud to recognise their hard work, dedication and commitment to delivering high-quality care to our patients. Their professional expertise, compassion and innovation are essential in shaping the future of health care and ensuring that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our patients and communities,” said Mariam Al Mutawa, acting chief nursing officer at HMC.
“The International Nurses Day event is one of several annual days, alongside GCC Nurses Day celebrated on March 13 and Arab Nurses Day celebrated on November 3, that provide an internal and public platform to help recognise the critical contributions of nurses and midwives in improving patient outcomes, advancing innovation and promoting health equity,” added Mutawa.
International Nurses Day is an annual event organised globally on May 12 by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which celebrates the important contributions of nurses to the healthcare profession. The theme for International Nurses Day 2023 is ‘Our Nurses. Our Future’, which sets out what ICN wants for nursing in the future in order to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all.
In recognition of this year’s theme, HMC’s Department of Nursing and Midwifery organised an event that aimed to highlight the vital role that nurses play in the provision of high-quality care and shaping the future of healthcare.
The event was attended by senior healthcare leaders from different healthcare and academic institutions across Qatar.
Special messages were delivered by Dr Rayana Bou Haka, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in
Qatar; and Dr Nabila Al Meer, dean of the Nursing College at Qatar University. In addition, two video messages by international spokespersons and nursing advocates were delivered by Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses; and Maureen Bisognano, president Emerita and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
Muna Al Hetmi, director of Nursing Education at HMC and chairperson for the event organising committee, said that nurses are inherently team oriented which made the organisation of the event so enjoyable and rewarding.
“Nurses generally enjoy activities that celebrate the role of nurses in delivering high-quality care to patients and communities. Our event incorporated professional development and learning elements as well as networking opportunities for nurses across the organisation. Enjoying your work is an important element for any employee, and therefore adding lots of fun elements to the event was a special bonus for all who attended,” she said.
A special guest performance was from Dana Dajani, an award-winning PalestinianAmerican actress, poet and humanitarian, who presented a special poem she wrote for the occasion, titled ‘A nurse is the ultimate humanitarian’.
HMC is proud to recognise and honour the dedication and hard work of its more than 11,000 nursing staff that make up around 45 percent of the whole workforce.
Alanoud Hamad Al Marri, executive director for workforce in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at HMC, said: “International Nurses Day is an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the critical role that nurses play in delivering high-quality healthcare to patients.”
The International Nurses Day event was made possible through the generous sponsorship contributions from Khalid Scientific Co. W.L.L (Platinum Category), Med Tech Corporation (Platinum Category), Vital Health Technologies (Gold Category), Ebn Sina Medical W.L.L (Gold Category), Atrium Medical Care (Silver Category).