The World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to recognize the critical contribution both professions make to global health. The year also marks the bicentenary of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910).
Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May, 1820 in Florence, Italy, the city which inspired her name. She came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, in which she organized care for wounded soldiers. While making her night rounds she became known as “The Lady with the Lamp”.
During her career, Nightingale laid the foundation for professional nursing by establishing the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at the St. Thomas’ Hospital in London in 1860. Her efforts to reform healthcare greatly influenced the quality of care in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nursing is often referred to as the caring profession. Around the world, nurses and midwives play a crucial role in health promotion, disease prevention and the delivery of care in all settings. They are often, the first and only point of health contact and care in their communities.
Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services and are the largest professional group in the health care workforce, accounting for 50% of the personnel globally. Nearly 70% of the health and social workforce are women. They often work in challenging circumstances; undervalued, under-resourced and overworked.
This year-long effort to recognize nurses and midwives is a time to celebrate their work, highlight the challenging conditions they often face, and advocate for increased efforts to address the global health-care worker shortage.
For more information about this campaign, please visit: https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/year-of-the-nurse-and-the-midwife-2020
#SupportNursesAndMidwives #Nurses2020 #midwives2020
