Nursing Award Ceremony Speech

Address delivered by Minister Y Del Agua on the occasion of the Award of Diplomas to Nurses "It is with great pleasure that I address you all today on this very auspicious occasion. In opening this fourth graduation ceremony after the successful conclusion of the Diploma Course in Nursing, I warmly welcome the 11 graduands, your respective families, Professor Anne Peat - Dean of The School of Nursing and Midwifery, the University of Sheffield, faculty and staff of the School of Health Studies, and all other distinguished guests.

In researching the background to this academic and vocational course, I have managed to obtain an insight into the history of this very intensive practical and theoretical programme. I am aware that there is a very rigorous admission criterion which, in itself, is very hard to meet. For those who passed this first hurdle, there followed an intense and stressful three year period, in which the students had to combine their theoretical studies with practical on the job, hands on training. I know that you have had to make many sacrifices along the way to get to this point. Your chosen career is worthy of admiration by all the community. All of us, at some point in our lives, need to place ourselves in your hands. Nursing is a multi-facetted job.

Nurses offer the patient knowledge, compassion and courage.

The nurse is the patient's lifeline, providing skilled care that makes the difference between life and death. The nurse dispenses comfort, compassion and care, without a prescription.

They are sometimes very aptly referred to as angels with comfortable shoes.

But the nurse is also human, and precisely because of that human nature they necessarily feel empathy for the pain and suffering of patients. Yet they have to learn to balance these natural instincts with emotional stability. They have to learn to work without allowing their emotions to get in the way of their professionalism. They have to be mindful of confidentiality requirements, different cultures and traditions and respecting the wishes of the patient. They have to understand that every step they take in the medical field can have far-reaching consequences. They have to be able to respond quickly to emergencies and other situations that arise. And they are required, irrespective of their physique, to have strong physical endurance, to be able to sustain long periods of standing, lifting considerable amounts of weight, and performing a number of taxing manoeuvres on a daily basis. Now that you embark on your new job you will naturally be filled with excitement, nerves and wavering confidence. You are about to go forward in leaps and bounds. But always remember where you came from. When you've had a rotten day or you're just not feeling it, take a moment to reflect on what it took to get you where you are today. Remember what the last 3 years have been like and that it can only get better. You are professionals and before you know it you'll be seasoned veterans! So for those of you who have chosen this career of great personal sacrifice but also of great personal fulfilment, and who are graduating today, we express our admiration, we thank you, and we wish you the very best of luck and success. We thank your families for supporting you, and we also thank those committed and dedicated members of staff who have made it possible, through their support, both theoretical and practical, for you to be here today.

And I would like to leave you with a very appropriate and meaningful poem written by a student nurse. It goes like this:

"I gave my first injection today And my patient didn't flinch. She said she didn't feel a thing.

What a wonderful compliment she gave me when she said 'what a wonderful nurse you are going to be'.

I also passed meds and cleaned some wounds and held lots of hands. And if I can ease just one pain or dry just one tear or offer just one daughter some comfort when her mother dies, I have accomplished my task and have been successful in my goals, to have offered a hand when life takes its toll.

I have been truly blessed to have touched these lives, and I pray I never find it boring or bothersome to do the meaningless of tasks.

Even when the most trying patients call and ask, my goal is to answer every time with a smile.

And to ask for forgiveness when I can't, after I have gone mile after mile.

Have I told you yet I gave my first injection today?

I am a student nurse and for dedication I pray.

May all of you find inspiration in these words and continue to persevere with pride until you reach your full potential in this most noble of careers."

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