Doha, 29 May 2023: On 11th of May 2023, Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Corporate Nursing and Midwifery Department held a special educational and celebratory event for over 900 nurses, midwives at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha, in recognition of International Nurses Day.
"Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our healthcare system, and we are proud to recognize their hard work, dedication, and commitment to delivering high-quality care to our patients. Their professional expertise, compassion, and innovation are essential in shaping the future of healthcare and ensuring that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our patients and communities,” said Ms. Mariam Al-Mutawa, Acting Chief Nursing Officer at HMC.
“The International Nurses Day event is one of several annual days, alongside GCC Nurses Day (celebrated on 13 march) and Arab Nurses Day (celebrated on 3 November), that provide an internal and public platform to help recognize the critical contributions of nurses and midwives in improving patient outcomes, advancing innovation, and promoting health equity,” added Ms. Al-Mutawa.
International Nurses Day is annual event organized globally on May 12 by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) which celebrates the important contributions of nurses to the healthcare profession. The theme for International Nurses Day 2023 is "Our Nurses. Our Future", which sets out what ICN wants for nursing in the future in order to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all.
In recognition of this year's theme, HMC’s Department of Nursing and Midwifery organized an event that aimed to highlight the vital role that nurses play in the provision of high-quality care and shaping the future of healthcare. The event was attended by senior healthcare leaders from different healthcare and academic institutions across Qatar. Special messages were delivered by Dr. Rayana Bou Haka, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Qatar, and Dr. Nabila Al Meer, Dean of the Nursing College at Qatar University. In addition, two video messages by international spokespersons and nursing advocates were delivered by Mr. Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses, and Maureen Bisognano, President Emerita and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
Ms. Muna Al-Hetmi, Director of Nursing Education at HMC and chairperson for the event organizing committee, said that nurses are inherently team oriented which made the organization of the event so enjoyable and rewarding: “Nurses generally enjoy activities that celebrate the role of nurses in delivering high-quality care to patients and communities. Our event incorporated professional development and learning elements as well as networking opportunities for nurses across the organization. Enjoying your work is an important element for any employee, and therefore adding lots of fun elements to the event was a special bonus for all who attended.”
A special guest performance was from Ms. Dana Dajani, who is an award-winning Palestinian-American actress, poet and humanitarian, who presented a special poem she wrote for the occasion, titled “A nurse is the ultimate humanitarian”.
HMC is proud to recognize and honor the dedication and hard work of its more than 11,000 nursing staff that make up around 45% of the whole workforce. Ms. Alanoud Hamad Al-Marri, Executive Director for workforce in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at HMC said “Our Corporate Nursing and Midwifery Department is committed to providing a supportive and empowering work environment for our nursing staff, and offers a range of career development opportunities, training programs, and resources to help nurses advance their professional skills and knowledge. International Nurses Day is an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the critical role that nurses play in delivering high-quality healthcare to patients and communities.”
The International Nurses Day event was held in the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas and was made possible through the generous sponsorship contributions from Khalid Scientific Co. W.L.L (Platinum Category), Med Tech Corporation ( Platinum Category), Vital Health Technologies (Gold Category), Ebn Sina Medical W.L.L (Gold Category), Atrium Medical Care( Silver Category).
