Mental Health Awareness and International Nurse Day
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 10-16 May 2021 and the theme this year is Nature.
Research on the mental health impacts of the pandemic showed going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us reported being in green spaces had been a vital for our mental health.
The Mental Health Foundation told us that websites which showed footage from webcams of wildlife saw hits increase by over 2000%. Wider studies also found that during lockdowns, people not only spent more time in nature but were noticing it more.
This year's aim is to encourage people to connect with nature, which might be somewhere right on your doorstep. Whether you do this on your own, with a friend or family member, the benefits from spending time in nature and incorporating this into your daily routine can be great!
Throughout the pandemic many of us turned to nature to help us through these unprecedented times. Even brief contact with nature - whether it's a walk along the River Biss, Lambrok Stream or the Nadder, sitting on a park bench in Warminster Park Leisure Grounds or simply listening to birds singing - can help reduce feelings of anxiety and help to protect our mental health.
It's important to remember it is OK to feel stressed or anxious and that everyone reacts differently. This situation is temporary and for most people these difficult feelings will pass, but there is support available if you need it.
For tips on how to take care of your mental health and wellbeing during times of uncertainty visit Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
International Nurses Day - 12 May 2021
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. ICN commemorates this important day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses' Day (IND) resources and evidence.
As Registered Nurse myself, I am passionate about acknowledging and celebrating the work of nurses, particuarly after the past year where nurses have gone above and beyond to deliver care in exceptional circumstances of the #Covid19 Pandemic.
Every year on May 12th, International Nurses Day is a time to pause, reflect upon, and celebrate the outstanding contribution of the world's nursing professionals to global health.
Members of the largest health profession, this last year, nurses have delivered care above and beyond any expectation of our era, helping the world get through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and, in some additionally tragic cases, costing them their own lives too.
Whilst much of the developed world has benefited from the widespread roll out of effective vaccines in recent months, other countries are still seeing surges in the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19, and nurses continue to be stretched to and beyond breaking point across many health systems.
The International Council of Nurses has themed this year's International Nurses Day: A Voice to Lead - A vision for future healthcare. Calling for the pandemic to be taken as an opportunity to capitalise on the learning and innovation it has demanded of our healthcare systems.
Recognising the quality of nursing services but also the economic benefit of nursing to society is important in Wiltshire and nationally.
Patient safety has become a Government priority and to deliver this priority successfully it requires sustained investment, highly educated nurses (not a generic workforce) and recognition of the economic value of nursing to the United Kingdom's economy.