Nurses at Health Sciences North in Sudbury
Nurses at Health Sciences North in Sudbury

By Angela Gemmill

Nurses play a pivotal role in health care across our province…and this week is meant to celebrate the important work they do.

There are 60,000 registered nurses, nurse practitioners and registered practical nurses, plus over 14,000 nursing students in the province, according to the Ontario Nurses Association.

Chief Nursing Executive at Health Sciences North, David MacNeil says nurses work in hospitals, long-term care and end of life care…as well as public health and clinics to deliver health care to patients and the community.

He describes the nursing profession as using scientific knowledge, but providing it in a caring way.

Nursing Week coincides with the May 12th birth-date of Florence Nightengale, the founder of modern nursing.

(Picture: A group of nurses at Health Sciences North; May 2015)