Nurses Week observance is underway, with special plans to focus on members’ mental health, says Dupie-Winston
Healthcare professionals, this week, are observing the annual Nurses Week activities and looking at a number of issues that impact their daily lives, including their mental health.
The week opened on Saturday, May 6, and runs until Friday, May 12, which is International Nurses Day.
The observance began with a church service at the Ebenezer Methodist Church on Sunday, May 7. Nurses Association President Soria Dupie-Winston says it was a time of refreshing, in spite of the many challenges they face.
In her address, she highlighted some of the difficulties facing the profession and encouraged her colleagues to press on and continue to give their best, since their role in the healthcare system is vital and critical.
A number of activities will be held this week to commemorate the event, including a media-awareness day on Monday.
However, since the Association will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in October, the grand Nurses Week celebration has been scaled down to allow for a bigger celebration later, during the anniversary week.
Meanwhile, other current activities will include an education day on Wednesday, May 10, via a Zoom webinar. Two speakers will address the nurses – Paula Lee, who will speak on “Strategies to Invest in your Learning and your Future,” and Dr. Roxanne Shepherd-Samuel, whose address will be “Mental Healthcare – Critical to your Well-being.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the current issue of insufficient staff at the hospital, Dupie-Winston says there has been a lot of pressure on, and burnout among, the nurses who are trying to fill the gap.
Accordingly, she says the webinar will focus on the mental-health concerns of the nurses, because, too many times, people are going through personal issues they are keeping to themselves.
On Friday, International Nurses Day, nurses, including retirees, along with other healthcare personnel, will be hosted to luncheon by the Association.
Dupie-Winston says that on Saturday, May 13, there will be a dinner and dance under the stars on board the Mystic Cruises from Tropical Adventures.
This year’s local theme is “Investing in our Nurses Means Investing in our Future,” while the 2023 Nurses Week theme, internationally, is “Nurses Make a Difference: Anytime, Anywhere – Always.”
The theme honors the unwavering commitment of nurses to their patients, and the value they provide to the unified health care team in accomplishing their medical-readiness mission.
