International Nurses Day 2024
Sunday 12 May is International Nurses Day, recognising the vital role of nurses in our NHS and providing compassionate and safe care to patients. Nurses make a difference to the lives of so many people and make a lasting impact on their health journeys.
This #NursesDay, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton want to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of the nursing profession, and sincerely thank all our nurses for the remarkable work they do at the Trust.
Whether you are newly qualified, specialist or a leader in nursing - your exceptional contribution to the Trust, your fellow colleagues, our patients, and community is invaluable.
Today is to celebrate and recognise you all. Thank you for all that you do.
Our departments and divisions will be marking this day with commemorative activities thanking nursing colleagues, hosting tea and food parties. Each division is doing something special to mark the day for their nursing colleagues.
This year, we hear from our nursing colleagues from across our Trust, sharing their inspiring stories about their journey at UHDB. You can see stories from nurses across the nation sharing their stories on social media by searching #nursesday.
Ajinder's story
My name is Ajinder and I am a Senior Sister on Ward 5 at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital. I’ve been a nurse for 20 years, starting from the bottom in healthcare and working my way up to a higher position. It wasn’t easy, but I made it to where I am today.
Along the way, I noticed how some of my coworkers had these special Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) scholarships that seemed to make a big difference in their careers. I wanted to understand what made these scholarships so great and how they could help me grow as a leader. With the support and encouragement of my manager, I decided to apply for one.
Even though I didn’t get the scholarship I applied for, the FNF still saw something in me and offered me a spot in their Mary Seacole Leadership Programme. It was an amazing opportunity that pushed me to learn and grow in ways I never expected.
The Mary Seacole Leadership program with its RADA sessions provided me with invaluable insights into self-awareness and effective leadership practices. One of the things I’ve been working on is improving transport services within our hospital to enhance the discharge process.
Being part of the FNF has been a game-changer for me. It’s not just about personal growth; it’s about being able to make a real difference in healthcare. I’m thankful for the chances they’ve given me to become a better leader and to help make healthcare better for everyone.
As I reflect on my journey, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities given to me by my manager, the Trust and FNF.
Zoro's story
I am Zororo Mataruka, a registered nurse based at Queen's Hospital Burton on Respiratory Ward 3. I was born in Zimbabwe and came to the UK in 2004. Previously, I was a mechanical engineer working my way up to quality assurance manager in my native country Zimbabwe.
In 2012, I started working as an agency healthcare assistant (HCA), until 2014 when my wife encouraged me to join the Trust as a bank HCA. In 2018 the Trust advertised for Apprentice Trainee Nursing Associates at Wolverhampton University. Having worked as an engineer and quality assurance manager in Zimbabwe, nursing was long considered as a profession mainly led by women. It was never in my mind that one day I will be a nurse. Whilst I was working as a bank HCA, three ward managers encouraged me to apply for the advertised job as they all felt I had the passion and desire to help and care for people. I had a lot of patients, staff and relatives give positive feedback about how I performed my duties and received some thank you cards. I applied for the job, and I was then deployed to a respiratory ward as my core hot ward, as I continued my studies for two years. It was during the two years of my training when I developed a lot of skills including one to one interaction with very poorly patients and relatives of the deceased, also drawing upon my own experiences, this helped me to realise my nursing potential.
After qualifying as a nursing associate, I was invited to present my nursing journey at the student nurse celebration at Wolverhampton University Burton Campus in 2019. After a couple of weeks, I was also invited to speak at a healthcare conference, however the country went into a lockdown due to Covid-19. In 2021 after being encouraged by many people including my ward manager to study for my top-up Nursing degree, I enrolled at the University of Derby and completed my BSc Degree in March 2024.
Just like anyone else, I am currently concentrating on my new role as a registered nurse, but in the future, I have hopes to further advance my professional development. UHDB has a positive approach for those who want to advance, the doors are open, and I am determined I am going to be one of those people. I will always remain grateful to the Trust for having given me the opportunity to learn and be able to identify my training needs.