Nurses End Week of Activities

Nurses Week

Yesterday marked the end of Nurses Week; an important event that honors and appreciates the invaluable contributions of nurses to healthcare.

This celebration usually occurs from May 6 to May 12 each year, ending on Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

She was born on May 12, 1820, and is considered the founder of modern nursing due to her revolutionary dedication and contributions to the profession.

This year, Antigua celebrated Nurses Week from the 11th to the 18th of May under the theme “Our Nurses, Our Future, The Economic Power of Care,” as explained by Jacqueline Jno-Baptiste, the director of nursing at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center.

The week was filled with various events, activities, and competitions to recognize the hard work, dedication, and impact of nurses on the lives of patients and their communities.

Nurses Week originated in 1954 when the International Council of Nurses (ICN) designated May 12th as International Nurses Day.

Over time, this celebration expanded to become a week-long event to honor and appreciate nurses globally for their incredible work and contributions.

The week’s activities included a church service, a day dedicated to celebrating retired nurses, trivia games, giveaways, a poetry competition, and a department decoration contest.

Each ward in the hospital incorporated this year’s Nurses Week theme and its colors, olive with a touch of burnt orange in some areas of the department.

An educational seminar was also organized to invest in the future of nursing, and ABNA held a talent night that was attended by both SLBMC’s nurses and the public.

Additionally, a banquet was held to reward nurses who had given over 20 years of service in the field.

The week also featured the “My Favorite Nurse” initiative, allowing the public to vote for the nurse they felt embodied the essence of the nursing profession. Moreover, nurses were pampered and treated to a spa day as a token of appreciation for their hard work.

Overall, the celebration was a great success, and it was a wonderful opportunity to show gratitude and appreciation for the remarkable work that nurses do every day.