Latest news from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Read news from across Nottingham University Hospitals.
My 25 Years of Caring: Celebrating International Nurses Day at NUH
On May 12 2025, we celebrate International Nurses Day to commemorate and celebrate nurses around the world who dedicate their career to the care of others.
International Nurses Day happens every year on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, a historic figurehead for nurses. This year’s theme is ‘caring for nurses strengthens economies’ which aims to raise the profile of nursing and how vital the profession is for healthcare systems.
At Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), we proudly employ more than 5,000 nurses in our hospitals who care for our Nottingham and Nottinghamshire communities.
Emmanuel Essiam, Registered Staff Nurse on C54 ward (Health Care for Older People), celebrated 25 years of nursing at NUH in November 2024 and was awarded a long service award in February 2025 by Nick Carver, Chair of NUH.
The long service awards recognise staff at NUH who have achieved 25, 35 and 40 years of NHS service. When Emmanuel reached 25 years, he was invited along to an afternoon tea with other members of staff to celebrate his dedication and receive his long service badge and certificate.
Emmanuel said “It’s very nice for somebody to appreciate what you’ve done. It encourages you and gives you the strength to continue to do what you can."
Emmanuel moved to the UK in 1991 from Ghana and tells us what inspired him to get into nursing.
“I worked as a store assistant in the medical stores in Ghana and I saw how the nurses, male nurses, were working. I decided that I wanted to join them."
"International Nurses Day reminds us of the pioneers, the ones who brought about the nursing profession. In my country, during that week, nurses go out to check blood pressures because some people have high blood pressure but don’t know it. You identify the problem and advise them to go to the hospital."
Reflecting on his years in nursing and the variety of people he meets, Emmanuel speaks of one of the memorable moments in his career. He said, “I have cared for many different people throughout my career, including a scientist who was part of the team for inventing Ibuprofen.”
Tracy Pilcher, Chief Nurse at NUH, said: “It is one of the greatest honours of my career to be part of and lead such an outstanding team of colleagues that includes our nurses, midwives, and Allied Health Professionals.
“International Nurses Day is an opportunity for us to recognise the invaluable contribution that nurses make to patients and their families every day across our organisation and in our local communities. I am always inspired when I talk to nurses across our organisation by their passion and commitment to making a difference to patient care. Today is an opportunity for us to celebrate not only these contributions but also recognise the critical role they play in delivering high quality, safe and effective care for all.”