Nurses across the globe are being championed as the world celebrates International Nurses Day (IND), held annually on 12th May. 

The industry has come a long way since the day of Florence Nightingale, who was a nursing pioneer and healthcare reformer, and whose birthday inspired the date for IND. 

In Australia however - which is often referred to as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world - the people at the frontline have said that there’s plenty of progress to be made. 

As tens of thousands of nurses celebrate, this year’s theme ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health’ serves as a reminder of the growing tensions in NSW, with nurses striking on several occasions to achieve nurse-to-patient ratios. 



NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) Warren Branch Secretary Sarah Webb said that in the fight for ratios, she finally feels like she can see progress. 

“I feel like it was the first time in a long time that rural and regional nurses’ voices are starting to get out there and the wider community is starting to realise that we do need ratios,” Ms Webb said. 

The recent regional health inquiry has also shed light on various obstacles for nurses across the Western Plains, including a culture of fear to speak out, understaffing and a shortage of hospital supplies due to a lacking budget.

Alongside Covid-19, Ms Webb said that her once bright spark for the job was difficult to maintain. 

“I’ve watched my colleagues struggle everyday to get to work…it’s getting harder and harder for registered nurses to perform in a regional hospital,” Ms Webb said. 

“It’s the daily stresses of being understaffed, having crisis situations happen and being under resourced, and knowing that we deserve better,” she said.

NSWNMA Orange Base Hospital Branch President Grace Langlands said rural and regional health had been neglected for too long and patient care was continuing to suffer. 

“We need people to understand nursing is a hard job, but it’s a rewarding job. We’re doing the best we can, but we really need more nurses and safe ratios,” said Ms Langlands.

For the public, the Australian College of Nursing Professor Kylie Ward said that the day should be about reflecting on the sacrifice of nurses for public safety during the pandemic. 

“For the last two years, our profession has put our daily lives on hold to lead our communities through the challenges and uncertainties of multiple waves of Covid-19 and natural disasters.”