“It’s important in our nursing profession - and you need to find this in yourself – to be kind to people. We are dealing with people who all have their own stories”, Nadia states.
Excitedly chatting about their professional and personal experiences – from their deep love of nursing and how they go the extra mile to demonstrate their care for patients, to how their patients actually care for each other and the clinic staff, right through to the nurses’ willingness to leave the cooking to other household members you can literally feel the magical connection between Nadia and Gulshen in their first meeting.
After more than an hour of intense exchange, they are already finishing each other’s sentences and eagerly nodding in agreement about shared experiences. Despite living more than 10,000 kilometers apart, Nadia Mechkarova and Gulshen Kaur Jaspal Singh have more in common than they could have ever imagined.
A global campaign focused on the unique experiences that unite nurses
It is these unique experiences of one of the world’s most caring professions that connect nurses across the globe, and that Fresenius Medical Care has explored and celebrated in its first global International Nurses Day campaign.
Nadia and Gulshen’s candid conversation has been captured as one in a series of videos launched on International Nurses Day, highlighting the ‘United in Care’ campaign that will continue throughout the year to recognize and support the extraordinary care provided by Fresenius Medical Care nurses.
“Across the world, there is great diversity within our nursing teams who come from myriad cultures and backgrounds”, said Rice Powell, CEO Fresenius Medical Care. “Yet when these diverse healthcare professionals are united by a shared purpose, they¬ have a profound and positive impact on the patients, families and communities they serve. It is the strength in this diversity and unity that we are celebrating, and that we have drawn on to further support our nurses. We want every nurse to realize just how special they are and how much they mean to our organization.”
The United in Care theme had been brought to life through a series of in-clinic and onsite, as well as digital activities, designed to bring together nurses and clinical teams internationally. Staff across different regions and countries are also uploading their photos and messages to an interactive virtual photo booth and gallery, explaining what United in Care means to them. In this way, nurses feel connected to one another, wherever they are, and are creating a vast gathering of nurses from around the world.
Investing in nurses’ development and wellbeing
As well as celebrating and thanking nurses, it is a priority for Fresenius Medical Care to continue investing in innovative ways to support nurses in the work they do and how they balance this with their personal lives.
“We are creating new educational opportunities and expanding our offerings and digital platforms to help nurses build their knowledge, skills, and confidence across a wide range of areas, while special awards recognize the dedication of nurses throughout our clinic network. We know that supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all staff, and especially our clinical teams, is more important than ever before, and so we offer courses, digital tools, confidential counseling, and internal support groups”, said Rice Powell.
The common thread that unites nurses
Meanwhile, as Nadia and Gulshen end their exciting ‘blind date’, they reflect on all they have in common:
“It is very obvious”, says Nadia. “We care. Both of us care – we care for our patients – over and beyond.”
Gulshen agrees. “We like to see our patients smile. We are willing to go the extra mile for our patients.”
Nadia and Gulshen are nodding in unison again. “I think so. I think for me, it’s what unites us. It’s really what we do every day. We care for our patients. And then also finding the balance outside of work, and then still continue to do the caring.”
They both laugh as Gulshen concludes, “It’s our second home.”
