Mr Anderson said International Nurses Day is a time to reflect on the round-the-clock care and support nurses give to more than 1.5 million patients in NSW public hospitals, at home or in the community.

“International Nurses Day is celebrated globally on May 12 each year - the birthday of the world’s most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.

“Today I’d like to thank the hard working nurses at hospitals across the Tamworth electorate.

“The care and commitment nurses bring to their work provides not only medical care and expertise but much-needed support and companionship to patients.

“Nurses provide an invaluable service for our local community. I am proud the NSW Government has boosted the number of nurses working in the Hunter New England Local Health District by 250 since being elected,” Mr Anderson said.

Across the state, 4100 more nurses and midwives (2,800 full-time equivalent) have been recruited to the workforce since the last election, surpassing the pre-election commitment of 2,475 additional nurses over four years. Every Local Health District has seen additional nurses recruited.

“The NSW Government supports the fantastic work of our local nurses, which is why we have recruited more nurses and midwives to our region.

“We have also empowered and encouraged our nurses to come up with their own ideas for better models of care and treatment for patients.

“Our encouragement and support of local decision making has transformed our hospitals resulting in enhanced care for patients and better staff morale,” Mr Anderson concluded.

Some of these locally-driven innovations were recently celebrated at the Essentials of Care Showcase in Sydney, where leading examples in how to treat patients were highlighted. More information on the Essentials of Care Program can be found at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/projects/Pages/eoc.aspx

The theme of this year’s International Nurses Day is Nurses: A Force for Change - A Vital Resource for Health.