May 12, 1998
(Health)

The following statement was issued today by Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Health and Community Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I rise today to ask Honourable Members to join me and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in recognizing today as both International Nurses Day and Canada Health Day, and the week of May 11-17 as National Nursing Week.

This year, the theme of National Nursing Week is "Nursing is the Key", a phrase which illustrates the integral role nurses play in meeting the health needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

You may be interested to note the origin of Nursing Week. In 1971, the International Council of Nurses selected May 12 as International Nurses Day due to its significance as Florence Nightingale's birthday. Since 1985, Canadians have also marked May 12 as Canada Health Day and the week including May 12 as a time to recognize the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession.

Our province is proud to have over 5000 nurses who work as a key element of the health care system in this province. Nurses are team of professionals who are involved in every aspect of our health system, at both the institutional and community levels. Their presence is crucial to the service delivery process in acute care hospitals, mental health units, senior citizens homes, and community health clinics. Moreover, nurses have made a place in our homes, caring for our family members, friends and neighbours in the community.

In recent years, nurses in this province have witnessed many changes in the health system. Over the past year alone, my department has initiated the development of a Nurse Practitioner Programme, three pilot projects of Multi-disciplinary Service and Teaching Units, and a Nursing Workload Measurement System, just to name a few. I am pleased to say, that the nurses in this province support these changes and are meeting the challenges head on and leading the country in advancing nurses and nurse practitioners.

Over the coming week, nurses across the province will be participating in special displays, demonstrations and events which are designed to encourage healthy living, promote illness prevention, and to increase the public's awareness of the role of nurses in our society.

I ask all honourable members to take a moment during National Nursing Week to reflect upon the valuable contribution that nurses make to the health and well-being of our people, as is well reflected in the theme "Nursing is the Key".

1998 05 12 5:25 p.m.