The International Nurses Day, commemorating the birthday of Ms. Florence Nightingale, Founder of Modern Nursing, was celebrated at NIMHANS on 15th May 2015 from 3-5 PM at the Convention Center. The Chief Guest was Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Sri M. Lakshminarayana, Principal Secretary, Department of Medical Education, Govt. of Karnataka, was the Guest of Honor. Prof. Dr. P. Satishchandra, Director/ Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS, presided over the ceremony.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Prof. Dr. K. Lalitha, Head of the Dept. of Nursing, who expounded to the audience the varied facets of the Theme for the year “NURSES: A FORCE FOR CHANGE: CARE EFFECTIVE, COST EFFECTIVE”, integrating it with the life and times of Ms. Florence Nightingale. The Addresses by the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honor emphasized the invaluable services rendered by nurses, and the challenges facing the field, together with benevolent advice and valuable insights to guide the nursing professionals in their careers.
The Agenda also included the presentation of Awards in recognition of the outstanding services rendered by the nurses at NIMHANS. The Best Nurse Awards were bagged by Mrs. Deepa Jose, working in Pavilion IV (Psychiatry wing), Mrs. Jayalakshmi Antharaj, working in Neuro Surgical Intensive Care Unit (Neuro Center), and by Mrs. Tejeswini, working in Casualty Block. The Best Ward Awards were presented to Pavilion III (Psychiatry wing) and Female Neuro Surgical Ward (Neuro Center). A special part of the Awards agenda was the felicitation of Prof. Dr. K. Lalitha, HOD Nursing, who had received the National Florence Nightingale Award from the President of India on the 12th of May 2015, for her contribution as Educator and Administrator.
A Poster Exhibition was organized by students from the College of Nursing, NIMHANS, on the Nurses Day Theme. All the posters were appreciated as effectively reflecting the Theme and its practical implications for the field.
