International Nurses Day: More than 40 health workers visit Littlethorpe Manor near Ripon to celebrate Florence Nightingale's birthday

Each year, May 12 marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale and is used to celebrate the nursing profession and to raise awareness of the challenges nurses around the world are facing.

Dr Pamela Cipriano, president of the International Council of Nurses, said: “By prioritising the well-being of nurses, we are ensuring that they can continue to provide the high-quality care that is critical to the health of our communities, which in turn strengthens our economies.

“Nurses face numerous challenges - physical, mental, emotional and ethical - and it is imperative that we address these challenges in a way that promotes their overall health.”

The nurses were joined at Littlethorpe Manor by Steph Lawrence, the new chief executive of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN).

She said: “I am delighted to be able to join fellow Queen's Nurses and to celebrate the partnership we have with the National Garden Scheme.

“International Nurses Day is a very significant day for nurses everywhere and I hope nurses will remember their own well-being, as well as that of the people they serve.”

Studies have shown that visiting gardens, gardening and being in nature can all help to lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and providing a boost to the endorphins.

George Plumptre, National Garden Scheme chief executive, said: “Gardens are full of the simple beauty of nature and can stimulate all the senses, leaving one with an enduring sense of well-being.

“Having been founded by the Queen’s Institute of Community Nurses (QICN) almost 100 years ago, we are delighted to be able to mark this very special day with Queen’s Nurses past and present in the fabulous gardens at Littlethorpe Manor.”

Littlethorpe Manor is a garden that celebrates a close connection to the medical and nursing professions.

Owner Christin Thackray said: “Myself and Eddie Harland, head gardener, are delighted to be hosting the nurses at Littlethorpe Manor on such a special day.

“Sharing the garden with them is a pleasure, especially the recently completed Physic Garden, which was inspired by our family connections to nursing and medicine.”

Littlethorpe Manor will open under the National Garden Scheme on Sunday, July 6. For more information, visit: https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/21025/littlethorpe-manor