KAMPALA – The commemoration of the Day of the Nurse commonly called International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every 12th May to mark the Birthday of Florence Nightingale the founder of modern-day nursing profession. This year’s theme is: “The Economic Power of care”.
This day, in relationship to the theme often nursing care is affected by financial constraints and societal undervaluation. IND 2024 aims to reshape perceptions, demonstrating how strategic investment in nursing can bring considerable economic and societal benefits.
For Uganda, the day has found us in a National Population Census Week 10th – 19th May 2024 and the Nurses Week also starts from 6th – 12th May every year.
It will be good news for Ugandan Nurses for the First Nurses Guard of Honor Service to be launched. This will be done at the Medicure Trauma Centre- Nabumali (Nursing& Midwifery Council Supervised General Clinic) located in Mbale District Eastern Uganda.
What you need to know about the Nurses Guard of Honor.
Just like the military give honor to their fallen colleagues through salutes and shootings, the Nurses Guard of Honor means to “Honor Thy Nurse” by establishing honor Guard for nurses this is done as a Final call of Duty.
The Nursing Honor Guard recognizes and pays homage to men & women who have dedicated their professional lives to nursing. The nursing Honor Guard has been established to honor these individuals upon their death. The Honour Guard’s presence helps to shine a light on nurses’ dedication to their chosen profession and helps ease mourners’ grief during their time of loss. The nurses who are members of the Honor Guard consider it both an honor and a privilege to participate in Final services for their fellow nurses.
Its purpose is to recognize men and women who have dedicated their professional lives to nursing and to pay respect to fellow nurses, (retired or active Specialist Nurses., Registered Nurses or Enrolled Nurses) at the end of life’s journey, for the devotion and commitment they demonstrated in caring for the vulnerable.
Services to be offered can be individualized based on the wishes of the deceased or family. They may include “A Nurse’s Prayer”, “The Nightingale Tribute”, (developed by the Kansas State Nurses Association), “She Was There” by Duane Jaeger, RN, MSN, and a Final Call to Duty. During these readings, a porcelain Nightingale lamp with a white candle is lit in the nurses’ honor. When the nurse doesn’t respond to a third and final call, they are relieved of their earthly duties, and asked to rest in peace. The candle is extinguished, and the lamp is presented to the family along with roses to signify the nurse’s devotion to his or her profession. We hope to move toward requesting, when available, honor guard members who are reciting the tributes and final call, wear a white uniform and cap, along with a vintage (or replicated) nurses’ cape.