Hundreds of Coventry nurses celebrate International Nurses Day

Past, present and future nurses, midwives and nursing associates took part in the march

More than 500 nurses and midwives have paraded through Coventry to celebrate International Nurses Day.

Staff from University Hospitals Coventry, George Eliot Hospital and others walked from Broadgate to Coventry Cathedral on Friday.

The march also recognised the International Day of the Midwife which was on 5 May.

Student nurses and nursing associates from Coventry University also attended the event.

The theme for this year's parade is Our Nurses, Our Future, with local NHS providers aiming to recruit 1,000 adult nurses from the area over the next five years.

Jamie Soden, from NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, said the organisation was "extremely proud" to co-present the march, which began seven years ago.

"This year's theme provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our colleagues hard work in the past, and their continued efforts in giving great care," he added.

"It is also a time to look forward and think about how we can learn from our experiences and find new ways to work and support our newly qualified nurses at the start of their career journey."

International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth

Mandy Braimbridge, deputy chief nurse at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, said the "important" celebration acknowledged the "incredible work" within the local community.

"We are passionate about nursing and everything it stands for," she added, and said it was a time to "come together, share stories and reflect on the positive impact they have on the local community".