International Nurses Day, marking the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, is celebrated on May 12 all around the world to highlight the significance of nurses in the healthcare sector and thank them for what they do. Nurses are the bridge between science and human touch. They are the ones who build confidence in the patient to fight back. They constitute the visible immune system aiding in the recovery with their smile. They serve with compassion and competence. Their role is always remembered with gratitude.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role nurses play. It has helped the world rediscover the fundamental role of nurses in healthcare. Nurses are the coronavirus heroes. The virus is taking a serious toll on the doctors and nurses risking their lives while treating infected patients.They brave heightened risk of contagion from coronavirus and with the growing prospect of having to make difficult medical decisions in terms of allocating resources and continuing treatment.

Moving in and out of negative-pressure rooms, putting on protective equipment and taking it off again, nurses are caring for patients who are severely ill and sometimes dying. They spend the greatest amount of time with the patients, where even the family is not allowed. These nurses devotedly tend to their patients’ needs. When a patient is placed in intensive care, it’s the nurses who do the mundane and the heroic act to help the patient recover or die with a little more comfort. Besides the COVID 19 the nurses keep attending the patients suffering from other diseases continue to require essential care.

Today, Indian nurses are employed all over the globe forming a significant part of NRIs making their name overseas. Their role has received praise. However, sadly Nursing as a profession and career remain under-acknowledged. It has to be empowered by ensuring occupational safety, financial assurance and mental support to attract more young people to this noble profession.