Nurses are there when new life comes into the world and when it leaves

And if you have spent any time on a hospital ward, you will be grateful for their experience, kindness, and unending care.

To celebrate these essential healthcare workers ahead of International Nurses Day, on Sunday May 12, the Leader spoke to two women about their time on the ward and how nurses support our regional communities.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Anu Gautam says the most rewarding part of her job is just being able to help someone in their time of greatest need.

"I know the hospital admission is a very daunting and stressful situation for anybody," she said.

"But I love being able to help those in need and every person is special."

After recently becoming a mother herself to a baby girl, Mrs Gautam said it brings her joy to see the euphoric look on parents' faces once they have their new baby in their arms.

Mrs Gautam relocated to the North West from Nepal.

"We have limited opportunities for higher education in Nepal," she said.

"I initially started as an assistant in nursing at Tamworth hospital about seven years ago, and that was my first job."

After completing her studies at the University of New England (UNE), Mrs Gautam has become a residential nurse.

She works as a scrub and scout nurse in an operating theatre.

"Before I came to Australia, I worked for one year in an operation theatre in Nepal. From there, I knew that would be my forever job."

Tamworth has become her new home and she enjoys having a healthy work-life balance while working in a supportive regional community, where she wants to stay.

"There is space for growth because you work in an environment with a team and are required to do different tasks," she said.

"If we have knowledge on different departments and topics, it is super important for regional nurses to have that knowledge to provide better care for the community."

When Elizabeth Grist started out as a 17-year-old nurse in Newcastle, the medical profession was very different.

She had to manually sterilise bedpans in a vat of boiling water and count the number of patient IV drops.

But Ms Grist said technology has not been the only advancement.

"We have had so many advances, like nurse practitioners now, who can suture and perform procedures," she said.

"There are so many things that have enhanced the scope of nurses, and lots of opportunities that were not there when I first started."

During her career, she has helped bring babies into the world and held the hand of a veteran of WW1 and WW2 as he passed away.

Ms Grist said it is a career "that can take someone anywhere".

And she would know.

Ms Grist is the Executive Director, Clinical Services, Nursing, and Midwifery for the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD).

A role she never thought she would have.

In that capacity, she led the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic and would receive an Order of Australia (OAM) for her work.

"When COVID first struck, we were seeing all the pictures come out of France and Italy and all the nurses and doctors were dying," she said.

"Everyone was really frightened, and I was tasked with coordinating the response and it was a huge responsibility."

At the time, nurses at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle were asked if they wanted to learn how to use a ventilator so they could be with their patients.

"I expected a couple of nurses," she said.

"I walked into the John Hunter lecture hall and there was not a single seat vacant," she said.

"Despite all those things we saw and the fear everyone had, they didn't hesitate."

It was a humbling experience, she said.

Sunday, May 12 is International Nurses Day, it's also the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth [The lady with the lamp].

Florence Nightingale was a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War and is widely considered to be the founder of modern day nursing. She was able to significantly reduce death rates by improving hygiene and living standards.

She is also credited for her work professionalising nursing roles for women, with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas' Hospital in London.

On Friday, the Tamworth branch of the United Hospital Auxiliary (UHA) hosted a special BBQ for nurses at the Tamworth hospital, to say 'thank you' to the nurses for all the work that they do.