Nurses past and present trained at Tauranga Hospital are being invited to celebrate International Nurses Day next Tuesday (May 12) in the hospital's conference centre.

Observed on the same date every year, International Nurses Day is observed marks the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth and highlights the contribution made by nurses all over the world.

International Nurses Day will be celebrated on Tuesday at Tauranga Hospital. Photo: File.

This year's theme is Nurses: A Force for Change – Care Effective, Cost Effective.

The scope of practise for nurses has come a long way since Florence Nightingale lead the way for modern nurses, says Bay of Plenty District Health Board director of nursing Julie Robinson.

'Nurses are often the first and primary point of contact for people accessing health services,” says Julie, 'and a career in nursing allows nurses many options including specialisation in different areas.”

As part of the celebrations, Nurse Educator for Medical Services, Louise Fowler, will be discussing how research informs effective patient care.

Louise has recently completed her Master's degree in Nursing and her presentation has been informed from that research.

Julie welcomes any past and present Tauranga Hospital-trained nurses to attend the event, which start at 2.30pm with Louise Fowler's presentation, followed by high tea at 3pm.

Nurses wishing to attend the event at Tauranga Hospital on Tuesday, May 12, need to RSVP by emailing: communications@bopdhb.govt.nz