The Nairobi Hospital today marked the end of international Nurses Week in a moving ceremony and an appeal to serve nurses professionally and personally. The ceremony at the hospital’s Amphitheatre brought together nurses, healthcare professionals, and leadership to pay tribute to the pivotal role nurses play in Kenya’s health sector.
Daystar University Dean of Nursing Dr. Susan Njuguna provided the keynote address, calling for the preservation of the dignity and well-being of the nurses, proclaiming that how nurses are treated dictates the impact on patient outcomes and efficiency of the healthcare system.
“By creating a context in which nurses can flourish professionally and personally with dignity, the result is optimizing patient care and optimizing the effectiveness and durability of health systems and economies,” stated Dr. Njuguna.
She advocated for policies and workplace practices that facilitate nurses’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being, including mental health initiatives, stress management assistance, and
physical safeguarding measures.
“Each one of the nurses who work here is an individual, typically with personal problems as well as professional ones,” she went on.
Dr. Njuguna called on health facilities to go beyond the rhetoric of celebration and institute structures and systems that empower nurses, such as adequate staffing, access to emotional support, and effective mechanisms for service delivery. She also identified more general systemic issues, such as health financing and infrastructure shortages that impact nursing care.
Raila Admitted at Nairobi Hospital
The Nairobi Hospital CEO, Felix Osano, reinforced the hospital’s commitment to tangible support for nurses. He issued the following statement since January:
32 nurses have been sponsored to attend National Nursing Conferences,
56 nurses have been certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
4 nurses will be sponsored to attend the International Nurses Council Conference in Finland this June.
Further, Osano unveiled intentions to sponsor higher diploma studies in various specializations of nursing from August 2025.
“The hospital is committed to not only appreciating nurses by word of mouth but also by showing it through tangible action and opportunity,” Osano said.
One of the highlights of the celebration was Mercy Mkubwa’s recognition, Nurse Educator and Researcher at The Nairobi Hospital, with a prestigious UK scholarship by the Florence Nightingale Foundation. She is one of the first two Kenyan nurses selected for the competitive global program.
“It’s the smallest thing we do that matters,” Mercy said during the ceremony.
The Nairobi Hospital reaffirmed its dedication to fostering nursing excellence and empowering its nursing workforce through professional development, policy advocacy, and wellness activities.
