The Island's nurses and health care assistants marked Nurses’ Day on 12 May with a series of events to celebrate the remarkable work of the profession.

This year’s celebrations focused on the theme ‘Be inspired by diversity through the years’ with the aim of also marking the centenary of the Royal College of Nurses, the world’s largest nursing union and professional body.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said: “In the busy world of health and social care it is all too easy for our dedicated professionals to forget the real difference they make to the lives of everyone in our community. Nurses Day gives our nurses and health care assistants the opportunity to reflect on the contribution they and their profession have made to our society over the past century.

“A great deal of effort was put in to the day and it demonstrated how much nursing has changed and how far the profession has progressed over the past hundred years.”

Various display boards chartered the changes in nursing from the 1900s, such as uniforms, care delivery, and the size and diversity of the workforce. A number of the Island’s hospital and community based nurses brought the past to life, tending displays for the day at the Health and Social Care Training and Education Centre, Keyll Darree, in historic nurses’ uniforms.

The day was also marked by the distribution of chocolates, kindly donated by Friends Provident International, across the Island to as many nurses as possible: at Noble’s Hospital, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, in the community, across mental health and at Hospice Isle of Man.

Chief Nurse for the Isle of Man, Linda Radcliffe, said: “We are very grateful to Friends Provident International for their gifts to the Island’s nurses, and to one of our local radio stations – 3 FM – for delivering them. It helped to make the day a fun celebration.”

Nurses’ Day is celebrated across the globe on 12 May to mark the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is considered the founder of modern nursing.

Photo - left to right: Lynne Valegra, Cathie Quine, Susan Dunajewski, Cath Quilliam, and Geraldine Black.