To mark the event, senior members of staff have also recorded special messages for the nursing teams, thanking them for the outstanding contributions they make to healthcare every day, as well as the extraordinary efforts put forward during the outbreak of Covid-19.
David Purdue, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals and Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Prior to the onset of Coronavirus, we had a number of things planned to mark International Nurses Day, the majority of which has now been postponed and alternative arrangements made for the time being.
“While we remain focused on our efforts to tackle Covid-19, we wanted to take some time to thank our nursing colleagues, and I would encourage local people to head to our Facebook or Twitter pages to share messages of support. Our clinicians do such a fantastic job each and every day, and their efforts throughout the past number of weeks have been nothing short of extraordinary – thank you.”
One project which was underway to mark the occasion was a creative endeavour which saw nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals tackle Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody with amended lyrics reflecting the role of nurses within the local hospitals. Early filming took place in mid-February with the choir portion complete, however additional production was cut short as the challenges of Covid-19 loomed.
Although the idea lay dormant for a few months, the video was resurrected with footage and photos taken in the past two months overlaid onto the original choir film, and a slightly reimagined version has been released today as the DBTH Rhapsody, which is now available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYRTQpPXvbc&feature=youtu.be
Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive at the Trust and a registered nurse of over 37 years’ experience, said: “International Nurses Day is a hugely important day in our calendar. Given the unprecedented challenges the NHS has faced, the event is more important than ever, and gives us a chance to reflect and celebrate our wonderful nursing colleagues. On a personal note, I want to share my thanks and appreciation; the dedication of our nurses is truly amazing and we’re lucky to have them working at our hospitals.”
The Trust’s nursing teams help to care for nearly 125,000 inpatients and around 500,000 outpatients every year. Since March, the team have helped to safely discharged more than 210 patients who are now at home recovering from Covid-19.