Nurses are the heart of healthcare system

Vinod C Dixit

(dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Nurses play an essential role in our medical institutions such as giving safety or helping in the recovery of patients etc. No doubt when some patient is in need of care then nurses work tirelessly to identify and protect the needs of the individual. Nurses also have immense knowledge and have several skills that they spend in an organization for perfection and development. Most of the time nurses work in tough environments where extreme stress is a part of their job. Nurses constitute the largest population in the health workforce in any country.

Nurses had and have critical roles and responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They continued to be at the front line of patient care in hospitals and actively involved with evaluation and monitoring in the community. They ensure that all patients acquire personalized, high-quality services irrespective of their infectious condition. Nursing's contribution to improving the public's health during times of crisis dates back to the days of Nightingale, modern nursing's founder. In 1918 during the disastrous influenza pandemic, nurses were steadfast in modelling the teachings of Nightingale, a staunch supporter of good handwashing, proper sanitation and sound preventive measures.

WHO has acknowledged that the hard work and selfless service provided by India's health workers, including nurses and midwives, have no doubt contributed to the country's impressive recovery rate of 31.15 per cent. Nursing is one of the Noblest professions that mankind has. It is the core part of the healthcare system. The Nursing system is designed so as to promote healthy living, prevent the spread of diseases, and ensure quick reach to the diseased, mentally challenged segments of society. In that way, the medical field without a proper nursing system fails to achieve its lofty aims. With too many patients and tasks packed into one day, patients often complain nurses do not attend or respond to them on time. According to the nursing community, governments do not address the unhealthy mismatch between the number of nurses and the daily patient load. Nurses have contributed a lot to the healthcare system in India. Under the National Health Mission initiative of the Government of India, there is a strong felt need for providing newer roles for nurses in far-flung areas where doctors are not available.

Nurses are important in managing a health crisis because they are a vital link between the patient and the rest of the healthcare team. COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus the need for every nation to invest in nurses and midwives as part of their commitment to achieving universal health coverage. Today, nurses are hailed as the true heroes of healthcare, often placing their own comforts after the needs of patients they care for day in, and day out. In the past, women dominated nursing because society and the public widely accepted their role but through the ever-evolving profession, men have made their presence known and the value they bring to the care for patients. They ensure that male patients feel represented and their needs addressed by individuals that look like them.

As nurses with considerable expertise in healthcare, we are very proud of nurses everywhere as they provide services during the current pandemic. Nurses will always be on the front lines of caring for the world at large way beyond our current global pandemic. Nursing's presence is a real cause for celebration.