International Nurses' Day 2022: Moorfields celebrates the best of nursing

Marked on Florence Nightingale’s birthday every year, International Nurses’ Day (IND) provides another opportunity for us to thank our nurses for the vital care they provide to patients.

This year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and Chief Nursing Officers have launched the ‘Enabling Professionalism Framework 2022’, which defines the characteristics of nurses and midwives in the 21^st Century. The NMC is encouraging nurses to use the framework to share their experiences under the theme of #HereForLife – with the aim of creating more recognition for those already in the profession, and to encourage more people to join it.

Moorfields Eye Hospital is joining the NMC, Chief Nursing Officers, and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to give recognition to its diverse, multi-skilled, nursing team who deliver the best in eye care, research, and education every day.

Best of Nursing

The nursing team will also be supporting the Royal College of Nursing’s #BestOfNursing activities on social media – sharing stories of nurses at Moorfields who demonstrate the best in care and innovation.

Nursing teams at Moorfields work across 25 sites in London, Bedford, and the UAE. The core component of their work is providing ophthalmic care for patients with sight loss and eye conditions. But the team also lead and deliver innovative research, education, and training programmes to further progress patient-centred care.

During the pandemic, and in response to the London wide call for mutual aid, more than 100 of Moorfields nurses were redeployed to work at hospitals across London and in Bedford, to care for patients with Covid-19. Our nurses have and continue to make a tremendous contribution to care; from winning the Nursing Times Award for Clinical Research Nursing, to being awarded MBEs, Moorfields has a brilliant team of nurses to be proud of.

“Having joined Moorfields in April this year, I am already inspired by the kindness and dedication of our nursing team, their ability to stretch themselves professionally as practitioners, and their desire to deliver excellent care to our patients, says Sheila Adam, Chief nurse and director of allied health professionals. 

‘From theatres, to research, nurses at Moorfields show the best of nursing every day, and I am honoured to lead such a diverse and talented team. Thank you to each and every one of you for the care and compassion you give to our patients and each other.’

Here for Life

The #HereForLife campaign and framework aim to build knowledge of and trust in the breadth of work and the positive impact nurses have on society and patient outcomes.

“We have chosen to support this at Moorfields by highlighting the stories of some of our culturally diverse and incredibly committed nurses who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their work as well as dedication to the care of their patients,” explains Sheila.

Moorfields will continue to support this work, and as part of its own commitment to the development of nurses and the profession, the trust has signed up to deliver The Pathway to Excellence, a nursing accreditation programme encompassing six standards focused on health and well-being of staff and raising quality within the clinical environment.

Following its application to NHS England in 2020, with an ambition to be part of the programme, Moorfields Eye Hospital was one of 14 trusts successful in securing funding to be part of the national programme to achieve the accreditation.

Moorfields is well on its away to achieving this accreditation, and continues this work which aims to develop its nursing staff but also create a positive culture of care across the healthcare professions.

Thank you from our patients

As part of the DAISY Awards, set up by the DAISY Foundation to thank nurses, nurses across Moorfields have been nominated for their exceptional care by colleagues, and patients.

In the most recent round of Awards, registered nurse, Marisa Rodriguez Romero was nominated by a mother and daughter who wanted to thank Marisa for her care and compassion following the loss of family members to Covid. Speaking about their experience, the mother said:

‘We have visited this clinic on more than one occasion, and Marisa has been so very welcoming every time, making sure we are seen and regularly checks how things are going, even though she is very busy.

“She made sure to make my daughter laugh, having lost her father and grandmother to Covid, and always wishes us well when we leave. My daughter always asks for Marisa, and she looks forward to her visits because of her, even though the reason for our visits is not always positive. The fact that Marisa can make my daughter smile through such a challenging time is very worthy of a DAISY Award.’

Nursing stories

You can read more about some of our nurses using the links below, to find out why they joined the profession, and what nursing at Moorfields means to them.

• Anna Toossi 
• Sheena Calmerin
• Demelza Bailey 

Florence at Moorfields

A governor of Moorfields, Florence Nightingale is remembered as the founder of modern nursing and a healthcare pioneer – it was Nightingale who introduced the importance of handwashing in the battle against germs - and her legacy still lives on today. It is thought Florence came to be involved with Moorfields because of her friendship with Sir William Bowman, a surgeon who practised as an ophthalmologist at the hospital. Florence and William met at Harley Street and kept in touch when Florence was serving in the Crimea. Florence often wrote to William, outlining in detail the horror of the injuries sustained by the soldiers and the unsanitary and ill-equipped hospital in which they were being treated.

Florence’s letters were printed in the Times and forced a change in government that saw the commission of a hospital designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The prefabricated hospital was shipped to Scutari and Florence and her team were able to revolutionise the care given to soldiers. As a result, the death rate of soldiers dropped significantly.

You can read more about Florence Nightingale and her connection to Moorfield’s in Richard Keeler’s article, written for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. You can also view some archive photos of Florence, in the Crimea and in London on Twitter. Thanks to Richard for helping us to retrieve these photos and for his excellent knowledge of Florence and William Bowman. 

Share your story

Nursing touches all our lives at some point: we all have a connection, and we would love to hear your stories of Moorfields nurses who have cared for you. If you would like to share your story, please email us at: moorfields.digitalcomms@nhs.net. You can also post your memories of Moorfields nurses and messages of thanks to our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn channels, using #HereForLife #BestOfNursing