HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every year, Fresenius Kidney Care takes the time to celebrate the significant contribution that nurses make to the health and wellbeing of their patients, patients’ families and the wider community. Fresenius Kidney Care, the dialysis service care division of Fresenius Medical Care, is a major employer of nurses in the Asia Pacific region. And it is these nurses who are the hearts and souls of providing care that fits with patients’ needs, enabling them to live more active and fulfilling lives.
“Our nurses and clinical staff provide skilled and compassionate care for over 30,000 people living with kidney disease at more than 400 centers across Asia Pacific. They are our key link to patients. Without them, we simply could not do our job”, said Mr. Warren Mah, Vice President, Fresenius Kidney Care Asia Pacific. “That is why it is so important for us to recognize the time, energy and talents that our nurses devote to patients every day”.
In 2019, this official recognition began on 12 May, International Nurses Day, which is celebrated on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s (the founder of modern nursing) birthday. The campaign initially rolled out across 11 countries and locations: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan. In Singapore, celebrations will officially begin on 1 August, the country’s own Nurses Day.
Initially involving more than 4,500 nurses across the region, the momentum of the campaign will continue to grow throughout the year with meaningful ways of thanking and engaging nurses: including the personal hand-over of thank you letters from management, personal messages on posters from patients, gifts of chocolates, flowers and more, as well as special nursing awards.
“This is my first time upon working three years as a nurse in different hospitals to be given such appreciation. I am very happy with the poster and the Fresenius Kidney Care management team coming to celebrate International Nurses Day with all of us.”
Ms Remininescene Simamora, Fresenius Kidney Care, Mardi Waluyo Dialysis Unit, Indonesia
To get the celebrations rolling (literally), Fresenius Kidney Care’s 2019 nurses’ engagement campaign was launched with an innovative Paper Ball Video Contest. Nurses were asked to write what they love most about their job on a piece of paper, scrunch it into a ball and then unfold the paper on video to reveal what they had written. Each of the short videos will gradually be connected, giving the impression that the ball was passed from one nurse (and country) to the next one while representing the connection of nurses as part of the large Fresenius Kidney Care network across Asia Pacific.
Mr. Harry de Wit, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care for Asia Pacific, endorsed the creative concept in a video where he expressed the company’s gratitude for its nurses and in a symbolic gesture, ‘threw’ the first paper ball to reveal what he loves most about his job: “Improving lives together”. The Paper Ball Video Contest will continue as a way of engaging and connecting nurses throughout the region, with the most creative contributions published and awarded prizes.
“Every day, our nurses show care, respect and humanity to their patients”, said Harry de Wit. “It is our privilege that we can share this same level of respect and gratitude towards nurses and their families. We have created a real sense of momentum with this year’s International Nurses Day campaign, and we do not plan to stop here. We will utilize further campaigns and creative ideas to continuously engage with our nurses across Asia Pacific and ensure they feel part of our community for 365 days of the year.”
