Nursing is an art, said Florence Nightingale – and today it is also a science. Nightingale’s birthday on May 12 is celebrated annually as International Nurses Day. To mark the occasion this year, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London, are proud to present the winning entries in our poetry festival.

The entrants, mostly nursing students, rose magnificently to the task of writing a haiku, or short poem, inspired by the word ‘resilience’. This was chosen to reflect the theme of International Nurses Day 2016, chosen by the International Council of Nurses – Nurses: A Force for Change: improving health systems’ resilience.

We are grateful to our distinguished panel of judges who generously gave their time to the challenge of selecting 28 winners from 58 excellent entries. These brief but intense poems
reflect the joy, pain, humour and complexity of caring, in ways that celebrate all that is great in the art and the science of nursing.

Karen Norman,
Visiting Professor, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London

Panel of judges:
Alison Baverstock, Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Kingston University
Carmel Blackie, Principal Lecturer, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London
Jagdev Gurlal, Student Nurse
Genevieve Hawks, KU Events
Jane Salvage, Visiting Professor and Writer-in-Residence, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London
Charlie Osbourn, Student Nurse
Samantha Perry, Student Nurse

Resilience: 28 Poems for International Nurses Day
Various Authors
Illustrated by Alban Low
Published May 2016
ISBN  978-1-910578-32-2
A6 Size
16 printed pages
Colour
Chapbook 14
SLB041
Price – £2
BUY Resilience (£2 + £1.20 P&P to UK Address)