Celebrating Netcare Alberlito’s unsung heroes
The theme of this year's Nurses Day, 'Our Nurses, Our Future' carries particular weight in South Africa as calls are increasingly being made for stakeholders and government to grow training programmes for the profession.
Alberlito Hospital last week joined hospitals across the globe in honouring their unsung hero nursing staff on International Nurses Day.
Recent Nurses Days have taken on extra significance locally, given healthcare workers’ efforts in combatting Covid-19, as well as during the increase in patients from the 2021 riots and 2022 floods.
The nursing staff received rightful praise and treatment from management on the day last Friday, where they had an in-hospital celebration.
“I would like every day to be Nurses Day because you truly deserve to be celebrated every day. You are unbelievable and we thank you. There is simply no Alberlito without you,” said hospital general manager, Sizwe Khoza.
The celebration offered a few chances to dance and play games amid the speeches from management.
This aside from the official programme, which included the reading of the Nurses’ Pledge and ceremonial lighting of the candle which would last until the evening shift team got to enjoy their celebration.
Sister Desiree Howard was chosen to light the candle this year – and for good reason too.
Howard is part of the ’16 Club’ of nurses who have been at Alberlito since day one, but more impressive is the fact that last week’s celebration was her 48th Nurses Day as a qualified nurse.
She received a commemorative plaque and a standing ovation from her peers for her consistency and longevity.
It was also the first Nurses Day at Alberlito for the hospital’s new nursing manager, Kim Mey.
She has been in the role since January after transferring from Netcare Umhlanga Hospital. She said she was excited to get to know the team better in the coming months.
Once a highly popular career, nursing is under threat in South Africa where it is estimated that there is a current shortage of around 26 000 nurses.
According to Life Healthcare figures, there is just one nurse per 213 people in South Africa, of whom only a third is under the age of 40.
Within 15 years, it is expected that 47% of nurses will have retired and that the shortage could reach 100 000 nurses by 2030.
The theme of this year’s Nurses Day, ‘Our Nurses, Our Future’ therefore carries particular weight in South Africa as calls are increasingly being made for stakeholders and government to grow training programmes for the profession.
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