Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Celebrating our Nurses and Midwives

2020 is Florence Nightingale’s bicentennial year, designated by the World Health Organisation as the first ever global Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Nurses and midwives make up the largest numbers of the NHS workforce - highly-skilled professionals from a host of backgrounds that represent our diverse communities. 2020 is our time to reflect on these skills, the commitment and expert clinical care they bring, and the impact they make on the lives of so many. This year is also an opportunity to say thank you to the professions; to showcase their diverse talents and expertise; and to promote nursing and midwifery as careers with a great deal to offer. Lisa Grant, Chief Nurse, and Sue Gibson, Director of Midwifery, said: “As we celebrate 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you for your hard work and dedication in providing the highest standards of care to our patients throughout the year.” We celebrated the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and on 12 May we joined in the celebration of International Nurses Day. This was also the day that we recognised the incredible work of Florence Nightingale on her birthday 200 years ago. When the LGI moved to an impressive new site on Great George Street in 1869, this was designed on the advice of Florence Nightingale. You can see the original plans by visiting our popup Nightingale museum stand at the LGI

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Portrait painting by a local artist

During Covid-19 many portrait artists around the country joined in with #PortraitsForNHSHeroes which involved painting a free portrait of NHS Key Workers. As part of this, local artist Carol Lay offered to do the piece of art as she could see the huge task the NHS Love NHS! As part of the celebrations of International Day of the Nurse a Love NHS Sign was kindly donated by Christmas Decorators for a week for staff to have photo opportunities with it. Teams and individuals were snapped, and selfies taken across the site at St James’s hospital outside the Chapel. It also looked very striking at night all lit up! Pictured here is Lisa Grant, Chief Nurse and Julian Hartley, Chief Executive with some Heads of Nursing next to the sign.

was facing with Covid-19 and wanted to be able to give a little something back. Carol wanted to capture a historical moment in unprecedented times for someone working on the frontline, but also, felt it was good for her to be able to give something back to someone who works at the LGI, after receiving some incredible care over the last few years herself. Carol wanted to say thank you to the NHS. You can see Carol’s other paintings on her Instagram page @bee_busy_art Vicki Bentley, Senior Sister on Ward L16 sent in her picture wearing PPE and her profile as part of Year of the Nurse celebrations which is exactly what the

artist Carol was looking for.

In the life of a Nurse and Midwife

Cat Balcombe Hilary Gupte

Georgie Duncan

Esther Nyirangomituje

We asked some of our nurses and midwives a few questions about their job in nursing and midwifery. These are some of the quotes.

1. Why I love my job as a nurse or midwife

Cat Balcombe – “It’s really satisfying when staff come to me with ideas for how they can improve patient experience.” Hilary Gupte – “I love being able to make that difference to the experience and care patients and families receive when they need it the most” Georgie Duncan – “Everything we do has a focus on ensuring we do the absolute best for our patients” Laura Jones – “I see ladies from the start of their journey, right through to the end. I feel we are able to make fantastic bonds with our patients” Esther Nyirangomituje – “I love how there is a similarity between teaching, motherhood and nursing” Cat Balcombe – “I was a Nursing Officer in the Army Reserves and most proud to serve on two operational tours in Afghanistan. It was very rewarding watching the Invictus Games and seeing the veterans I had looked after”

Hilary Gupte – “Absolutely do it! It’s an amazing career to be in and I’ve loved each job, city, and hospital I have worked in.

Georgie Duncan – “Transforming key nursing paper documents into electronic forms on PPM+. I squealed with excitement when I saw the first one used by a nursing colleague in oncology” Laura Jones – “Positive patient outcomes, having knowledge about your patient is invaluable”

Esther Nyirangomituje “Receiving patients with poor health, providing them with care is the most rewarding thrill any health professional can feel. I experience such joyful moments”

3. What would you say to someone considering a career in nursing & midwifery?

Cat Balcombe “Nursing careers can offer you flexibility when you need it for family life”

Hilary Gupte – “Absolutely do it! It’s an amazing career to be in and I’ve loved each job, city, and hospital I have worked in.

Georgie Duncan – There are so many opportunities in nursing and midwifery to transform the way we work”

Laura Jones – “I genuinely adore my job, don’t get me wrong the hard days are the absolute worst, but the joyous times are priceless, and I encourage anybody to consider a career in midwifery”

Esther Nyirangomituje – “If you have the caring attitude, nursing career is a fantastic professional area where the most significant pride anchors in the impact you make on others”