Caring from the Heart - The Salvos Celebrates International Nurses Day

“Caring from the heart, for me as a nurse, is about empathy,” says Salvation Army’s Head of Aged Care, Angela Raguz. “It's about knowing and understanding every individual and thinking about what meets that person's needs. It's not always what we think is best; it's often about listening and relating to what the other person wants.”

The Salvation Army Aged Care’s residential aged care and Salvos Home Care services are supported, overseen, and managed by nurses so, on International Nurses Day marked every year on 12 May, the organisation takes the opportunity to acknowledge its nurses with the ‘Excellence in Nursing Award.’

The award is given to a Nursing and Midwifery Board registered staff member of The Salvation Army Aged Care who demonstrates excellence in all that they do and the way in which they conduct themselves.

Other criteria for the award include acting as a role model to their peers, establishing strong relationships with the clinical team and the wider organisation, as well as residents, clients, and their representatives, and putting forward continual improvement initiatives while seeking professional development.

A nurse from each Centre and Service is nominated by their manager, as well as a nurse from the Territorial Headquarters team, and these nominations are then endorsed. The ‘Excellence in Nursing Award’ winners are announced on International Nurses Day with accompanied celebrations to include morning and afternoon teas, and a midnight snack for nurses working the night shift.

The International Council of Nurses theme for International Nurses Day 2025 is ‘Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies.’ The theme underscores the critical role a healthy nursing workforce plays in strengthening economies, improving health systems and ensuring better outcomes for communities.

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