On 10 September 2026, the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Health Sciences, through the Division of Nursing and Midwifery, hosted its Nurses’ Appreciation Day, an afternoon dedicated to recognising the contribution of nurses while reflecting on the future of the profession.

Held under the theme “Nurses’ People. Possibilities. Healthier Futures.”, the event brought together nursing leaders, healthcare professionals, academics and students for an afternoon of reflection, dialogue and celebration. The programme included perspectives on the nursing profession, capacity-building in the Western Cape, collaboration across the clinical platform, student performances and a panel discussion exploring the theme, “From the Bedside to the Boardroom: Repositioning Nurses as Leaders and Influencers in Global Health.”

In his welcome address, Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Professor Lionel Green-Thompson reflected on the interconnected nature of healthcare professions. Sharing his personal connection to both medicine and nursing, he spoke of his father, a doctor, and his mother, a nurse, who worked towards the common goal of caring for patients and communities. Today, that connection continues through his wife, who is also a nurse.

Professor Green-Thompson also highlighted the significance of the event taking place just one day after the graduation of the latest cohort. It was a timely reminder that while the occasion celebrated those already serving, a new generation of healthcare professionals was beginning its journey.

Delivering a reflection on the nursing profession, Professor Sheila Tlou, Chancellor of Botswana Open University, shared a personal account of her own path into nursing. Although her early interests lay in languages and the performing arts, her career took a different direction when she received a bursary to study nursing.

That opportunity would ultimately shape a lifelong commitment to nursing, leadership and people-centred healthcare.

Professor Tlou shared that whenever she participates in healthcare engagements, she makes a point of meeting with nurses. This reflects her conviction that nurses must remain central to conversations about healthcare systems and their future.

One of the most compelling messages from her address was the idea that health is made in communities, while hospitals are places for repair. Her reflection highlighted the importance of looking beyond healthcare institutions and recognising the role that communities play in creating and sustaining health.

Collaboration was another strong theme throughout her address. Professor Tlou emphasised that no single profession can transform healthcare in isolation. Stronger health systems depend on nurses, doctors, researchers, policymakers, communities and other professionals working together towards shared goals.

She also challenged the audience to recognise that there is still much work to be done and posed an important question: How do we carry the profession forward?

Research, she argued, is an important part of the answer. Building a stronger evidence base can strengthen nursing practice, inform policy and help the profession respond to changing health needs.

Professor Tlou further reflected on the relationship between nursing and the global development agenda, noting that all of the Sustainable Development Goals are applicable to the profession in some way. Nursing therefore extends beyond clinical care to include leadership, advocacy, research, education and the pursuit of healthier and more equitable societies.

Her call to action was clear. Nurse leaders must actively mentor current and future generations of nurses. Building the profession of tomorrow requires experienced leaders to share knowledge, create opportunities and encourage emerging nurses to recognise their potential as leaders and influencers within healthcare.

The wider programme reinforced these messages through contributions from the Division of Nursing and Midwifery, the Western Cape Department of Health, nursing students and a multidisciplinary panel of leaders from academia, healthcare and international institutions. 

With appreciation

The Faculty extends its sincere thanks to Professor Sheila Tlou, all speakers and panellists, our partners in the Western Cape Government and healthcare community, the organising team, participating students, and everyone who contributed to making Nurses’ Appreciation Day a meaningful occasion.

Most importantly, thank you to our nurses. To those practising today, those preparing to enter the profession, those teaching and mentoring the next generation, and those whose research and leadership are helping to shape stronger health systems, we recognise and appreciate your contribution.

Nurses’ Appreciation Day reminded us that celebrating nurses is about more than recognising the work they do today. It is also about investing in their leadership, amplifying their voices, strengthening collaboration and creating opportunities for the profession to continue shaping healthier communities.

As the message of the day captured so fittingly: Nursing today, for a healthier tomorrow.