HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE


LET’S HEAR IT FOR NURSES


The focus of this year’s WHO Clean your Hands Day was on nurses and midwives, who are expected to provide exemplary care despite the fact that they are constantly rushed off their feet. Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity looks at ways of easing their burden.


Every year the World Health Organisation (WHO) holds a Clean Your Hands Day to remind us of the importance of hand washing in healthcare.


Never before has this been more relevant than it is in 2020. The COVID-19 global pandemic has focused everyone’s attention on the issue of hand hygiene as countries go into lockdown and thousands of people fall ill.


This year’s World Hand Hygiene Day (5th May) highlighted the role of nurses and midwives who accounted for nearly 50% of the global health workforce.


Nurses and midwives play a vital role in healthcare. They bring babies into the world, provide care for new mothers and offer lifesaving immunisations. They also look after


52 | TOMORROW’S FM


the elderly and are often the first and only point of care in their communities.


Yet they face constant difficulties and stress in their working lives. According to a 2019 NHS staff survey, many nurses and midwives are concerned about staffing levels as well as the day-to-day pressures of the job.


Only 28% felt there were sufficient numbers of employees in their organisation to allow them to do their job properly, while just 16% said they rarely or never experienced unrealistic time pressures.


The study, which polled 569,000 NHS employees, revealed that 44% of registered nurses and midwives had at one time or another felt unwell due to stress, and nearly a


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