Aiming to appreciate the services of nurses, the International Nursing Council this year has decided to celebrate the nursing profession. This year on International Nurses’ Day, Thursday, 12 May, the promoting theme would be "closing the gap, increasing access and equity to healthcare" and all those nurses who provided access to health care during those destruction times of Christchurch earthquake would be thanked from the bottom of heart.

It has been decided by the Southern DHB Nurses that they will pay tribute to the nurses of Canterbury and international colleagues who all together continued in ensuring access to health care for their community. As a result of Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, many lives were affected and a huge adversity was brought into the state, but amidst all that, the Otago nurses with their full efforts saved the life of many.

In this regard, Southern DHB Deputy Chief of Nursing and Midwifery, Mrs. Tina Gilbertson, said, "We are paying tribute to their incredible efforts and strength by sending messages of support which has been recorded in a keepsake book. We also have a display board in the main hospital foyer paying tribute to our international colleagues who have delivered care during other recent disasters. These include nurses in Japan, following the tragic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis and Queensland nurses throughout the devastating floods”.