Celebrating International Nurses Day 2024 – blog by Lisa Murray, BRC Education and Training Manager
It’s that time of year when we celebrate and raise awareness of the invaluable role and contribution that nurses play in healthcare! To mark this year’s International Nurses Day, celebrated around the world every 12 May – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth – Lisa Murray, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre’s (BRC) Education and Training Manager has written a blog to celebrate the occasion.
I have been a registered nurse for more than 16 years, with my career initially starting at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). It was here where I provided care and comfort to children during their most vulnerable moments. The joy and resilience of children and their families inspired me, and I valued the ability to contribute to their health and happiness. Over the last 8 years, I have been fortunate to work in various corporate nursing roles at MFT where I enjoyed the dynamic nature of the work environment and the opportunity to utilise my nursing skills in a different context.
Joining the BRC
In January 2024, I was excited to join the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which has presented new experiences and fresh challenges to stimulate my professional development. As Manchester BRC’s Education and Training Manager, I have been keen to raise the profile of the BRC and its opportunities amongst the nursing workforce across its NHS Trust partner organisations. Additionally, promoting the whole host of transferable skills that nurses can bring to the BRC has been important to me.
Driving future healthcare advances
Nurses are often excellent problem solvers with a wealth of resilience and an ability to understand complex clinical contexts, yet they can often play down their contributions, not fully appreciating how flexible and adaptable they can be. I believe that actively encouraging collaborations with nurses in the BRC can harness their unique perspectives, expertise, and contributions to advance scientific knowledge, translate research findings into practice and ultimately improve patient care and outcomes.
The theme for International Nurses Day this year is: Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care. As the BRC Education and Training Manager, I am keen to support the offering of training and education opportunities to nurses to drive future healthcare advances. I am particularly excited about our Healthcare Professional Placement Scheme which will be advertised later this month, providing nurses with the opportunity to gain some exposure and insight into working in research.
International Nurses Day has always been a special day for me where nurses are recognised and celebrated for their dedication and commitment in healthcare, all around the world. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow nursing colleagues a very Happy International Nurses Day!