13 May Essex nurses mark Nurses’ Day in Basildon
Members of the Royal College of Nursing Essex branch have gathered on a bridge close to Basildon Hospital to mark Nurses’ Day (12 May) and highlight their battle for fair pay.
Nurse Leah Scanlon said: “It was great to celebrate Nurses’ Day with fellow RCN Essex branch members on the bridge in Basildon. We had a lot of fun and it was amazing to see the amount of support we have from the public.
“For me being a nurse is a huge privilege. I love that I am able to look after others and I am always striving to provide the highest quality care for my patients.
“Nursing has progressed so much over the years and our responsibilities and skills continue to grow. Nursing needs to start being recognised for the highly experienced and knowledgeable profession that it is. Nurses need to be paid a wage to reflect this.
“With so many vacancies, I am concerned for the safety and well-being of our patients. If our pay was more substantial, it would attract more prospective nurses into the profession and we would have safer staffing levels. We must protect ourselves and our patients.”
