Happy International Day of Nursing to all our amazing local nurses

By Mary Dennehy

TODAY is International Day of Nursing at Tallaght Hospital, with the local hospital celebrating and saying “thank you” to its workforce of more than 1,000 nurses – which is made up of 18 different nationalities.

A team of more than 1,000 nurses deliver 24/7 care to the patients of Tallaght Hospital, providing not only medical care but compassion, support and friendship to patients and their families.

Since 2015, Tallaght Hospital has increased its nurses by 16 per cent, that’s an additional 163 nurses in the past 18 months.

The local hospital has also retained more than 90 per cent of its student nurses who graduated in both 2015 and 2016, many of whom are from local communities.

Aine Lynch, the newly appointed Director of Nursing at Tallaght Hospital, told The Echo: “Our nursing staff numbers is a real success story and is down to a really focused recruitment campaign.

“The increase we have experienced here in Tallaght Hospital is in this climate unheard of and we are also managing to keep the majority of our student nurses when they graduate, which is a huge success story for both Tallaght Hospital and the local community as a lot of our graduating nurses are living locally.”

Aine, who started in Tallaght Hospital the day it opened its doors in 1998, added: “I’m proud to be part of the nursing team here at Tallaght. 

“I would like to acknowledge and thank nurses in Tallaght Hospital for the care, compassion and commitment they bring to work every day to ensure patients and families achieve the best possible outcomes.”

Today the staff at Tallaght Hospital, members of community groups, services and patients thanked the nurses at Tallaght Hospital through a video posted on the hospital’s Facebook page.

Everybody here at Echo.ie would also like to say “thank you” to the local hospital’s army of dedicated nurses.