International Nurses Day
Since last week, activities have been organization in celebration of nurses’ week, which culminates today with the global recognition of International Nurses Day. The activities are being held under the theme, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead: A Vision for Future Healthcare.” International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May twelfth to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The theme highlights the multiple roles nurses play and their contributions to the healthcare system.
Sharlene Banks, Director of Nursing Services, K.H.M.H.
“Sometimes our work gets thrown under the carpet, but this is an opportunity for us to show that nurses make a valuable contribution all over the world. And here at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, despite the challenges, despite the fact that we have to adhere to the different precautions that are demanded of us, we still wanted to show appreciation for the nurses at K.H.M.H. We have just about two hundred nurses and that’s a mixture of both foreign nurses as well as locally trained nurses. Although a large majority of the nurse cadre here is of foreign personnel, we still on a daily basis try to ensure that we try as much as possible to attract as well as to maintain as much as possible the required service from this institution.”
In a release issued today, the Ministry of Health and Wellness says it is cognizant of the chronic shortage of nurses and will invest in awarding fifty scholarships for the Practical Nursing Program at the University of Belize in August 2021. The ministry also pledged to continue over the next few years to increase the scholarships for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and will continue to make opportunities available for specialization in nursing.