Nursing the future

ON THE occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the world yesterday took the opportunity to single out nurses. The covid19 pandemic has caused us to take particular note of the dedication of our medical professionals, but yesterday’s observation of the International Day of the Nurse was an opportunity to amplify the appreciation that has already been shown and to hone in on the crucial role of nurses in the healthcare continuum. Going forward, we would do well to remember that role.

The world has changed dramatically since Nightingale’s pioneering work (which extended, incidentally, to championing the use of data in treatment). Yet, the role of the nurse remains as vital as ever.

When all is said and done, nurses are the ones who are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics. They are frequently the first, and sometimes only, healthcare professional people see. The quality of their initial assessment, treatment and aftercare is critical.

As Nightingale noted, nurses are not the same as doctors but they are nonetheless crucial in creating the conditions needed for patients to heal.

The State’s recent recruitment of about a dozen specialist nurses from Cuba was as much an iteration of Cuba’s long-standing practice of medical diplomacy as it was a reflection of the fact that nurses are always needed.

It’s not entirely clear where these nurses have been deployed after their initial quarantine period. However authorities have indicated the nurses would be used to man intensive care units, to train local nurses, and to supplement gaps.

It’s a reminder that nurses, like their fellow healthcare professionals, operate in a challenging environment in which available resources are stretched to the max, if not close to breaking point. Despite this, our nurses and midwives have often excelled, to the extent that many of our nationals have gone on to play roles in medical institutions in the UK, Canada and the US. It was a Trinidad-born midwife who assisted in the delivery of the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Equally, there has often been disquiet over standards of care at some public institutions. And problems relating to hospital security, salaries, entry examinations, and shortages have often in the past created the unfortunate impression of the nursing profession being pitted against the public and the powers that be.

Now, therefore, is a good time to ensure that going forward nurses have the required skills, training and working conditions that will allow them to fulfil the vital role they play. In a changed world in which there are so many unknowns, we will undoubtedly have to turn, yet again, to the nurses making their nightly rounds on the wards like Nightingale once did with her lamp.