Česky
From the history of Czech nursing
Although the origins of Czech nursing date back to the 10th century, when the first hospices were founded and the first hospitals were established by religious orders, nursing at that time provided a lay service and was performed without professional training. In Bohemia, the first nursing schools, following Nightingale's example, were opened in 1874 and 1916, and their graduates pioneered nursing education in Bohemia. Two years later a higher social school was established in Prague, which prepared social workers (later diploma nurses) for independent work in the field as part of a one-year course of study. The development of nursing education in the following years was interrupted by the war, and nurses could only start to be educated again after 1945. The new era of Czech nursing dates back to 1989, when nursing was transformed in terms of education, practice and legislation, and nurses have since then had far greater opportunities for development and performance than before.
Nurses in 2016 as drivers of change
Nurses are an indispensable element in the treatment of patients. They are not only present at the birth of new life, helping to alleviate patients' suffering, but often accompany them on their last journey. They are not only skilled and dedicated, but also educated and empathetic. It is therefore more than appropriate to appreciate their work. To celebrate International Nurses' Day, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has been announcing key nursing themes and highlighting global issues every year since 1988. In 2016, the discussion will be led by the theme "Nurses: drivers of change, increasing the resilience of health systems".
"The people who work here are most valuable to the leadership of our cancer center. We admire our nurses not only for their expertise, but also for being kind to our patients and managing the care of their families on top of that. Without their hard and responsible work, our cancer center would not be able to provide such high quality services. That is why we consider this symbolic day so important," said Vít Ulrych, MD, physician and spokesperson.
