Hansard

Thanks to Jackie Baillie for securing the debate and for her contribution this evening. I remind the chamber that I am a registered nurse and I was able to practise as a Covid vaccinator over the past two years. I thank the RCN for its two very helpful briefings ahead of the debate, one for the Scottish National Party and one for the Opposition.

The theme today for international nurses day 2022 from the International Council of Nurses is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead—Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health”. My contribution will focus on my amendment, and I thank colleagues who have supported it. My amendment intends to celebrate the immense contribution of nurses, to value nursing as a highly skilled, highly varied profession and to note the progress that has been made to support the nursing workforce in Scotland, especially in the past two years, during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has definitely had an impact on the mental health of all in our healthcare workforce, including nurses, and I welcome the Scottish Government’s action to address that.

Nurses work in a variety of areas, including adults, children, learning disability, mental health, maternity, perioperative—that was my job when I worked as a nurse—resuscitation, diabetes and cardiac as well as expert cancer care, as the Macmillan briefing that we received noted. Nurses make up the largest single profession in our NHS and are at the heart of the health service. The diversity of jobs in nursing is demonstrated through their work in our hospitals, general practitioner practices, homes and care homes, as well in schools and communities across the country.

Nurses in Scotland have some of the most advanced clinical skills of nurses anywhere in the world and we are leading the way. I cannae go through the whole of the ICN report, but, according to the ICN, there are huge benefits in investing in nurse education. The ICN states that that is needed to meet the

“changing health needs and rising expectations of individuals and communities”.

For example, in Scotland nurse-led education for patients on the management of conditions such as diabetes, medications and the prevention of ill health plays a hugely important role in promoting the positive health and well-being of the nation.

However, nursing skills in Scotland are not replicated across the globe. We should, therefore, be celebrating the competence of our nursing workforce in Scotland and use that competence as evidence to improve healthcare systems internationally. As co-convener of the lung health cross-party group, I joined the recently created International Coalition of Respiratory Nurses, which was initiated by Andreja Šajnic, who is a specialist respiratory nurse from Croatia. The ICRN has political support from Željana Zovko MEP, who is the co-convener of the lung health cross-party group in the European Parliament. We are proposing to work together to look at lung health across Europe and across the globe. ICRN is a global coalition aiming to promote best practice for respiratory education for nurses.

As we celebrate IND, I recognise the workforce challenges. I welcome the steps the Scottish Government is taking to address workforce recruitment and retention challenges. Scotland has a £10,000 per year bursary for nursing students. We are ensuring that nurses receive the best and fairest pay deal, with nurses in Scotland being on average the highest paid in the UK. The Scottish Government’s nursing vision to 2030 is welcome and shares many of the points from the World Health Organization’s global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery. The WHO strategy aims to ensure that nursing is better understood by the public, to increase nursing’s appeal as a career option, to retain a focus on supporting people experiencing periods of acute ill health, to promote prevention and to tackle inequalities. I ask the cabinet secretary for a commitment that those will be built on.

This is a day to celebrate. It is a day to be cheerleaders for our nurses. It is a day to thank nurses across the globe for all that they do on this day, international nurses day.