Sea of Nurses Converge for the Intl Nurses Day Celebration at Town Hall
Mangaluru: The Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI), which is a national organization of nurse professionals at different levels, established in the year 1908, which was initially known as Association of Nursing Superintendents, and the Mysuru Zone-Nursing Institutions of TNAI-Karnataka State Branch {TNAI-KSB} organized for the FIRST time in Mangaluru, the International Nurses Day Celebration held today, 10 May 2018 at Town Hall, Mangaluru. Over dozen of Nursing Colleges from the City and Beyond, and also from Udupi participated in the celebration, which totaled over 4000 in number.
The Government of India has recognized TNAI as a service organization in 1950. A similar recognition by all the State Governments has been an asset to the promotion of its objectives, which are of Upholding every way the Dignity and honour of the nursing profession; Promoting a sense of espirit de corps among all nurses; and To advance professional, educational, economic and general welfare of nurses. Even though International Nurses Day is celebrated all over the world on 12 May, but since in Karnataka Assembly elections are held on that day, the Nurses fraternity had decided to organize it today, with the theme for this year as ” Nurses : A Voice To Lead-Health is a Human Right!”
If patients in various hospitals in the City and beyond were wondering how come their favorite nurses, like Sr Janet, Sr Jacintha, Sr Aileen, Sr Mariamma, Sr Dhanya, Sr Laxmi, Sr Rosy and others, didn’t make their early morning rounds with their prescription medicines- it was because they had all gone to take part in the early morning {7.30 am} Jatha/Rally as part of this International Nurses Day celebration- which started from Balmatta KACES ground, proceeding towards Jyothi Circle, Balmatta Rd, Hampankatta, make a U turn at A B Shetty circle, and culminate at Town Hall-Mangaluru. Before the Jatha kick off, during a formal function, Sr Dhanya Devasia-Principal of Athena College of Nursing welcomed the gathering, while Prof. P Girijamba Devi-Secretary of TNAI-KSB inaugurated the rally by releasing the balloons in the air, along with Dr Larissa Martha Sams-Vice President of TNAI-KSB/Principal of Laxmi Memorial College of Nursing-Mangaluru, along with bunch other Principals of various other Colleges of Nursing.
After a hectic long walk in the rally, followed by a bunch of group photos and a sumptuous breakfast, it was time for the grand celebrations at Town Hall, which was jam packed with Nursing students/faculty and guests- a few had to witness the programme by peeping through the Town Hall windows. The programme began with a prayer song by the nursing students of Father Muller College of Nursing, followed by welcome address by Dr Kanagavalli -Principal of Zulekha Nusring College-Mangaluru. The programme was inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by chief guest Prof. P Girijamba Devi, along with other dignitaries on the dais, comprising of Principals of various Nursing Colleges.
As a mark of respect to Florence Nightingale, May 12th is an important date to all nurses, as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing- to pay respect to her, Prof Girijamba and Dr Larissa M Sams garlanded the portrait of Florence Nightingale, known as a noble lady with a lamp is an epitome of Nursing and remains immortal in the heart of every nursing personnel. The brief activities report of TNAI-KSB was delivered by Dr Larissa M Sams. As they say, Winning is only half way, having fun is another half. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is a little extra. So for the Nursing students who went extra mile to make their name shine above the rest in various contests, like Poster Making, slogan Contest etc were awarded prizes during the occasion.
Addressing the gathering Prof. P Girijamba Devi said, ” I am extremely overwhelmed to see the large participation of young nurses here for this celebration. It is unbelievable- all these years TNAI-KSB had these Nurses Day celebrations in Bengaluru- this year we wanted to give Mangaluru a chance- and I am thrilled by the response from you all. Great job and thanks a lot! Being a Nurse, you have taken up a very professional career. Unfortunately, many people seem to think that the most important people in the healthcare system are the doctors, but this is simply not true. Nurses play a key role in all of our medical institutions, being responsible for the welfare, safety and recovery of patients.”
“Nurses have an enormous amount of knowledge and many diverse skills they spend years perfecting and developing, all the time working in decidedly tough environments where extreme stress is just a part of the job. Nurses help bring new life into the world, care tirelessly for the sick and injured, and sometimes watch the patients they did everything to save pass away despite their best efforts. On many occasions, it was a vigilant nurse who noticed a mistake in a doctor’s prescription in time to save someone’s life. Acknowledge the hard work, long hours, and emotional duress that are part of the life of every nurse on International Nurses Day. I urge you all to become members of TNAI-KSB, so you can avail the benefits of Scholarship provided by the organization. Also we are planning to construct a residential building for the sick/and old nurses when they need it in Bengaluru-for which we need all your prayers and support. Finally, once again a BIG thank You for making this Intl Nurses Day celebration in Mangaluru a grand Success”.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Theresa L Mendonca-Chairperson, Research Committee, TNAI-KSB, and the entire formal function was compered by Asha Joyce of Zulekha College of Nursing, and Ms Diyona Pinto, Asst Lecturer at Laxmi Memorial College of Nursing, Mangaluru. The formal function was followed by a Panel Discussion by students on the Theme : “Nurses-A Voice to Lead: Health is a Human Right!”. The Panel Discussions were followed by Focus Group Discussion on the topic ” Shattering Nursing Stereo Types in Health Care System-Redefining the Image of Contemporary Nursing”, with speakers at the helm namely : Sr aileen Mathias- Chief Nursing Officer, Yenepoya Medical College Hospital; Dr Edward Nazareth-Orthopedician, Fr Muller Medical College Hospital; Narayan-a Advocate; and Prof. Rita Noronha- a Social Activist.
In conclusion, while we Celebrate International Nurses Day, because this day is all about celebrating nurses’ endless contributions to society, take this opportunity to show a nurse who has taken care of you how much you appreciate him or her. As with most gestures of appreciation, whatever you decide to do need not be grand or cost much money. Sad as it is, many people neglect to thank their nurses at all, seeing them only as robots who only know how to follow the doctor’s orders, so every little way to say a simple “thank you” will definitely make that nurse’s day.
If you are feeling especially grateful for the way a certain nurse took care of you (fed you, brought you a blanket, cleaned vomit off of you, monitored your vital signs, made sure you were getting the right pills, changed your wound dressings, helped you get to the bathroom, let you cry on his or her shoulder, or any of the hundreds of other things nurses do), today is the day to show that gratitude. So take a trip down to the hospital tomorrow, 12 May with some goodies, a box of sweets or anything else you think that particular nurse might like. However, as mentioned before, it’s the thought that counts the most. A nurse’s main goal is to help you get through treatment and get better, so just knowing he or she succeeded is a reward in itself. Long Live the Nurses-the Angels of Mercy! Happy Nurses Day alias Happy Sisters Day?
