AL KHOBAR: Most hospitals in the Eastern Province, both public and private, are marking the one-day International Nurses Day held annually on May 12 with a weeklong observance starting on Saturday, May 7, to emphasize the important role of nurses in the healthcare program of the government. Mary Jane Pajarillo Tupas, director of nursing at Mohammad Dossary Hospital in Al-Khobar, said many hospitals are celebrating the event for one week with several activities. She said one day is not enough to complete the activities hospitals have prepared to highlight the occasion. She said the Ministry of Health has not released guidelines on how to mark International Nurses Day because the government has a standing directive to all health institutions to observe the occasion every year. The theme for the 2011 celebration is “Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity”. “The weeklong celebration will include a slogan contest, poster making, quizzes, an essay writing contest on the role of nurses, competition for the best nursing stations, and the selection of a Miss Florence Nightingale of the year in each hospital,” Tupas said. Tupas said seminars and symposiums will also be held in most hospitals, and recognition awards will be given to nurses who have performed their duties in an exemplary manner. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. The International Council of Nurses, which is spearheading the annual commemoration, will distribute an International Nurses' Day (IND) Kit to nurses' organizations. The kit contains educational and public information materials for the use of nurses around the world.
