'International Nurses Day', May 12

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY

International Nurses Day is celebrated each year on May 12th, the birthday of pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale. It is a time to recognise and thank nurses everywhere for the kindness, skill and dedication they show in caring for others. Nurses play a vital role in hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, mental health services and in people’s own homes - often supporting individuals and families through some of life’s most difficult moments.

Nursing has changed enormously since Florence Nightingale’s time, with modern nurses benefiting from advanced training, improved infection control, specialist roles and better equipment. However, the heart of nursing remains the same - compassion, dignity, reassurance and helping people to live as well as possible.

International Nurses Day also provides an opportunity to reflect on personal memories. Many people remember nurses who helped them or loved ones during illness, childbirth, recovery or times of worry. The day can encourage discussion about how healthcare has changed over the years, memories of hospitals and uniforms from the past, and the important qualities that make a good nurse.

Suggested Cognitive Stimulation Therapy activities could include:

• Sharing memories of nurses or hospitals

• Naming famous nurses from history

• Discussing how nursing has changed over time

• Looking at old medical equipment and uniforms

• Completing medical sayings and idioms

• Singing songs linked to helping, caring and friendship

• Talking about ways people can care for one another in everyday life

ANSWERS

Greg Focker - 'Meet The Parents' (Ben Stiller)

Madam Poppy Pomfrey - 'Harry Potter' series (Gemma Jones)

Florence Nightingale

Duff & Charlie Fairhead - 'Casualty' (Derek Thompson & Cathy Shipton)

Nurse Ratched - 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' (Louise Fletcher)

Annie Wilkes - 'Misery' (Kathy Bates)

'Hot Lips' Houlihan - 'M.A.S.H.' (Loretta Swit)

Matron - 'Carry On Matron' (Hattie Jacques)