Honouring those who help us on International Nurses Day

"We do it for the patients," she said.

"Although it can be tough, it's a real privilege.

"You get to work with people and support them when they are most vulnerable," Albury Wodonga Health's chief of nursing and midwifery said.

Ms White is one of a tender army of nursing professionals who see us at our most exposed and on International Nurses Day Australians pay tribute.

"There's a few moments that stand out in my career but the ones that stand out most significantly for me are when I'm working with people at the end of their life, being there for them and their families. Helping them is something really special."

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Ms White said throughout her 30 year career, the last few had been the most challenging, dealing with a global pandemic and adapting to an ever-changing landscape.

"We've been through tough times," she said.

"Working through the pandemic put a different layer of complexity to nursing but in saying that the tough times do bring rewards as well.

"There was a time at the start when it was a real unknown and there was constant changing guidelines that you had to read, understand and apply so we could not only keep our staff safe but our patients and community."

"It was very challenging but we've learnt so much that we still apply to our work today and as a result we are in a better situation now to handle what comes in the future."

Acting director of nursing for workforce and professional practice at Albury Wodonga Health, Caroline Grealy, said the profession had grown.

"I think there is probably a misconception about what a nurse is and what they do on a day to day basis," she said.

"When you think of a nurse, you think of someone who is at the patients bedside, but that's not necessarily the role.

"We have people who work in the community, health, behind a desk in an office, in executive and director roles and they all play a part in providing care for the patient," she said.

"The patient is why we do it and we are all focused on the patient and their families."

And on May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth, the founder of modern nursing, Australians honour those who sacrifice so much for our welfare.