Celebrating Midwives' And Nurses' Day

Events to recognise the professional practice of nurses and midwives across the Midland DHBs will be held as part of celebrations for International Midwives’ Day and International Nurses’ Day.

Waikato DHB will celebrate the International Day of the Midwife on Thursday 5 May with breakfast at a café at the Hamilton Lake Domain overlooking Waikato Hospital, followed by a walk around the lake.

Lakes DHB area will start the Road to Durban, where the International Confederation of Midwives is holding its triennial conference this year. The money raised from registrations for the late afternoon walk at the Blue Lake, near Rotorua, will be divided between midwives in Japan and Canterbury.

The Taranaki Branch of the New Zealand College of Midwives will be walking from Nobbs line to the Port end of the walkway on 5 May.

Midwife Belinda Chapman said the walks will merge as a global event where midwives around the world will be advocating to improve maternal and newborn health in our communities and countries, as well as for women far away.

The Taranaki walk starts at 10.30am, with a celebratory lunch to follow. A gold coin donation will be collected on the walk which will be allocated to ICM safe motherhood projects.

In Tairawhiti DHB, nurses and midwives are holding a combined breakfast on 12h May, and the midwives are having a fun day on 13 May, which involves a team adventure challenge. There will also be displays.

Bay of Plenty nurses will be going red and black on May 12 as they recognise Canterbury nurses on International Nurses’ Day

Director of Nursing at Bay of Plenty DHB, Julie Robinson said, “that as this year’s theme for International Nurses Day is Bridging the Gap – Equity and Access, it seemed appropriate to recognise the contribution Canterbury nurses have made to ensuring access to services for their community following the earthquakes that have devastated not only the hospitals but also the Canterbury region.”

Nurses in the Bay are being encouraged to wear red and black dress, as a way of demonstrating support for the Canterbury nurses. Donations to a fund for Christchurch nurses will also be collected on the day.

Also on May 12, those Bay of Plenty nurses who have completed their Masters of Nursing will be celebrated with morning tea in Whakatane Hospital, and afternoon tea in Tauranga Hospital.

Displays are planned for the entrance to the Tauranga and Whakatane hospitals to celebrate and highlight the work of senior nurses who contribute to service equity and access.

• At Waikato DHB, poster displays and presentations for the professional groupings will be held on Thursday 12 May.

In Lakes DHB, there has been a strong community nursing response to the DHB nursing awards to recognise outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery, launched in 2010.

Nurses and midwives working in primary care and the community form a strong number of the entries. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Rotorua Hospital on Wednesday 11 May.

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