Hornsby State Liberal MP Matt Kean has today thanked local nurses and midwives for their commitment, compassion and professionalism when caring for patients in the NSW public health system.
Mr Kean said International Nurses Day is a time to reflect on the round-the-clock care and support nurses give to more than 1.5 million patients in NSW public hospitals, at home or in the community.
International Nurses Day is celebrated globally on May 12 each year - the birthday of the world's most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.
"Today I'd like to thank the hard working nurses at Hornsby Hospital ," Mr Kean said.
"The care and commitment nurses bring to their work provides not only medical care and expertise but much-needed support and companionship to patients.
"Nurses provide an invaluable service for our local community. I am proud the NSW Liberal & Nationals Government has boosted the number of nurses working in our Local Health District by 387 since being elected.
Across the state, 4100 more nurses and midwives (2,800 full-time equivalent) have been recruited to the workforce since the last election, surpassing the pre-election commitment of 2,475 additional nurses over four years. Every Local Health District has seen additional nurses recruited.
"The NSW Liberal & Nationals Government supports the fantastic work of our local nurses, which is why we have recruited more nurses and midwives to our region," Mr Kean said.
"We have also empowered and encouraged our nurses to come up with their own ideas for better models of care and treatment for patients.
"Our encouragement and support of local decision making has transformed our hospitals resulting in enhanced care for patients and better staff morale.
Some of these locally-driven innovations were recently celebrated at the Essentials of Care Showcase in Sydney, where leading examples in how to treat patients were highlighted. More information on the Essentials of Care Program can be found at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/projects/Pages/eoc.aspx
The theme of this year's International Nurses Day is Nurses: A Force for Change - A Vital Resource for Health.
