Tomorrow will mark another World Nurses Day once again being celebrated under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since nurses are among the heroes fighting at the forefront of the pandemic, hospitals, institutions and patients plan to celebrate the day to show their gratitude.
The Turkish Nurses Association published a message on the occasion of World Nurses Day, emphasizing the importance of the profession amid the coronavirus turmoil. "In 2021, we are still celebrating May 12, World Nurses Day in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world, just as in 2020. Although the burden of all sectors increased during the pandemic period, the biggest burden was on the health sector. In the past year and a half, when the increasing demand for health care services and limited resources were in question, nurses were at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic. They struggled to provide everyone in our society the care needed uninterruptedly at the expense of putting their own and their families health at risk. We congratulate our colleagues who continue to struggle for the health of our society by setting aside professional, economic and social problems and putting their lives on the line now more than ever when necessary. Happy World Nurses Day!"
The nurses of Gazi University Hospital in the capital Ankara created a video clip to share their messages for World Nurses Day. Some detailed emotional moments, some recalled hard times, but all of them showed how passionate and fearless they are when it comes to saving people's lives and helping them.
Gazi University rector Musa Yıldız told Demirören News Agency (DHA) that they planted saplings on behalf of the nurses working in all departments of the hospital and in memory of this special day.
"Happy Nurses Day to all our nurses who do not neglect their patients under any circumstances, and who work devotedly and heroically," he said.
Nurses heal Syrian orphans
The devoted nurses working in the pediatric intensive care unit of the Hatay Training and Research Hospital are trying to heal young patients from Syria who were brought to Turkey after losing their parents.
The nurses in the unit in Hatay, a border city in southeastern Turkey, are providing dedicated care to their patients, some of whom have been receiving treatment at the facility for at least three years. Nurses sing lullabies to put the children to sleep, after helping them bathe and dress. They also give each child gifts for their birthdays.
Fatma Öcay, 53, a nurse for about 30 years, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they are happy to help all of the children in their unit.
"Nursing should not only be about giving the patients medicine, but it should also be about touching their hearts. When you make a difference in their lives, you truly understand the satisfaction of the profession of nursing, and this is the most important thing," she said.
Güneri Bahap, 33, who has been a nurse for about 10 years, said that he chose this profession to help people.
"Our patients can be Syrian or Turkish. We try to provide care and treatment in the best way possible, without discriminating against any of them. Everyone in the hospital considers me the father of the children in the intensive care unit. We establish a close relationship with the children," he said.