HOLY Cross Hospital, in Haslemere, marked International Nurses’ Day with a message for the future.

A time capsule was buried under the foundations of the new education centre being built at the hospital, which contains letters written by Holy Cross nurses describing their working experiences providing round-the-clock care for up to 40 severely disabled patients.

Nursing services manager Gina Guo said: “As it has been nearly 200 years since Florence Nightingale was born and because Holy Cross Hospital will celebrate its centenary next year, we have been spending some time reflecting on how much nursing has changed.

“Our nurses are the backbone of Holy Cross and we are extremely proud and grateful for what they do.

“We hope that when the time capsule is opened in 100 years’ time, the nurses of 2116 will enjoy reading our stories.

“We have attempted to describe a typical day, which includes administering 1,265 separate medications to patients, washing our hands every 20 minutes or so and turning bed-bound patients up to eight times in 24 hours.”

International Nurses’ Day is held annually on May 12 – the birth date of Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The International Council of Nurses stressed the need for members to contribute to developing strong and resilient health systems locally, nationally and globally.

ICN president Dr Judith Shamian said: “As the single largest group of health professionals, with a presence in all settings, nurses can make an enormous impact on the resilience of health systems. By promoting the nursing voice, we can help guide improvements in the quality of health service delivery and strengthen health systems.”

The current nursing team at the Shottermill hospital is drawn from 13 different countries and the new education centre will provide vital in-service training in the specialised care required by the hospital.