Nurses and midwives awarded

The job of a nurse and a midwife is often very demanding and undervalued. Moreover, they often face disparaging words from politicians, even though their job is important.

To give them at least some recognition, the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SKSaPA) grants them with a prestigious White Heart award. This year, 31 nurses and midwives received the award as a thank you for their care of patients and a human approach.

“The White Heart award is a symbol of care, knowledge and humanity,” said Iveta Lazorová, head of SKSaPA, a quoted in a press release.

The award is granted on the occasion of the International Nurses Day celebrated around the world on May 12, the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing.

Meeting with the president

The award-giving ceremony was held under the auspices of President Andrej Kiska, who also met with the laureates on May 21.

“I’ve always been meeting with nurses and midwives with humbleness,” Kiska said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

The society often forgets about the importance of nurses taking care of patients when they are ill.

“People realise the importance of nurses only after they end up in hospitals,” the president added, as quoted by TASR.

It is important to clearly define the role of nurses and midwives in society and make the solutions to their current problems a priority, he stressed.