National Nursing Day (Rashtriya Nursing Day, Nepal)

Rejeena Khanal Dhakal, a nurse working at Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar, has not been able to stay with her parents even though she wanted to. She is staying away from her family to prevent the spread of the disease to the elderly parents.

Pooja Sapkota, another nurse working at Bir Hospital, has the same story as Rejeena. Pooja, who has not even met her 5-year-old daughter in order to prevent the transmission of the disease through her, stays away from family and goes to her duty. Nurses are doing their part in the COVID crisis, sacrificing many things, including the hugs of young children the touch of elderly parents, and the despair from their own loved ones.

Outside, the fires of World War II were raging, people were being killed and injured every day, and Florence Nightingale, a small lamp, was always at the service of the wounded. Let's talk about nurses who have been highly respected by people all over the world in the last century.

This year, the significance of this day is increased immensely. As the terror of COVID is prevalent, the role of the white coat is considered equal to combatants for national security and public health.

The nurse reminds me of the hospital and the main thing is health care and loving care. Nurses' Day is celebrated in Nepal on the 15th of Magh every year. After the establishment of Bir Hospital in 1947, there were only a handful of compounders and a handful of people trained in India as health assistants.

The Nepali history of nursing seems to have started in 2013 BS when some Nepali students including housewives were formally trained as nurses during the Rana regime. This year is the 60th edition of Nursing Day in 2078 BS.

During the Rana period, four Nepali disciples, Bidhavati Kansakar, Radha Devi Malakar, Dharmadevi Kansakar, and Bishnu Devi Rai, have a history of training as health assistants from Allahabad, India. After that, the trend of Nepali women coming to India after 4 years and 9 months long nursing courses has increased.

What is surprising about nursing is that there are only a small number of men in this business. Some time ago, some nursing colleges also gave nursing training to men, and later men were not attracted to this profession.

In the beginning, nursing was not seen as a pleasant profession, it was a night duty, it was necessary to work with the sick and wounded. Now the whole dimension of nursing has transformed in Nepal, nurses are taken as a great profession and persona in Nepal.

Nurses who did not receive the insurance amount after the COVID infection because of the duty have yet to receive justice. Issues over the minimum wage of nurses working day and night in private hospitals are yet to be settled. Meaningful wishes for this day.

 Suyog Dhakal