Photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash
Nurses are being celebrated worldwide for the work they do everyday during International Nurses Day.
The date is marked each year on May 12, the birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
Cavell, a charity that aims to provide support and help to nurses and midwives going through a crisis, is a non-judgemental confidential service.
Marketing and communication manager Savannah Seger said: “We believe nurses of past, present, and future should be celebrated and their work recognised.
“They’re there for you when patients are scared, they’re there for you when you’re lonely or hurting or in pain and they offer emotional comfort and medical support.”
However, patients are often unaware of the struggles nurses face.
Ms Seger said: “They do it all with a smile on their face.
“Behind the uniform, a patient would have no idea what a nurse or midwife is really going through and they carry those personal challenges with them through their working day.”
The struggles nurses face have just started to come to light in recent years with burnout and staff shortages being at an all time high with over 66 per cent of nursing professionals working regularly while facing extreme stress.
Despite awareness growing, the burnout being faced by nursing staff in their everyday life continues to grow.
With nurses facing extreme anxiety, Cavell has found that nursing professionals gave a score of 4.93 out of 10 on their daily anxiety, almost double the general public.
Cavell aims to change this through their ongoing support and the Cavell Star Award, which recognises nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who show care, compassion and outstanding work.
The award is a way for nurses to feel appreciated and helps take away some of the burnout they may face and to show appreciation for the work nurses do as the people who nominate the candidates are patients and their families as well as employers.
Ms Segar said that this award is to “give them the recognition they deserve”.
If nursing professionals or midwives are struggling they can find more information here.