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This year’s International Nurses Day (Tuesday 12 May) will be a special moment for the 335 nurses who have joined the team at Mater Hospital Springfield – Queensland’s newest hospital.
The recruits will provide care for 185,000 patients from across Ipswich, Logan and Brisbane’s south-west when the facility becomes fully operational later this month.
Dedicated nursing teams will support much-needed new health services for the growing western corridor, including an Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and surgeries in 10 operating theatres.
Clinical Nurse Jade Peel is part of the 60-strong nursing team preparing for the opening of the Emergency Department.
“We’ve been busy participating in simulation training and getting to know each other,” Ms Peel said.
“It’s a cliché, but we’ve all become nurses because we want to care for other people. It’s a very confident and friendly team and we’re very excited about helping our first patients.”
International Nurses Day marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who revolutionised care for soldiers wounded in the Crimean War (1853-56).
More than a century after her death, nursing is at the heart of modern healthcare and demand for nurses continues to grow, with the Queensland Government estimating 21,300 new nurses are needed by 2032 to cope with growing patient numbers.
“Being able to make a difference to a patient who may be going through the hardest day of their life is what makes nursing special,” said Registered Nurse Jessie Yates, who is also part of the MHS Emergency Department team.
“When I was a child I was very caring and people suggested that I should become a nurse one day. I started training straight after school and I still love being a nurse.”
Mater Hospital Springfield General Manager Suzanne Hawksley thanked her new recruits for joining Mater’s statewide cohort of more than 5700 nurses.
“We have assembled an exceptional group of nurses for this hospital,” Ms Hawksley said.
“Their dedication, skill and compassion will be key to the care that we provide for the western corridor.”
