International Nurses Day 2026: Empowered Nurses Save Lives
/By Penny Streeter OBE, Founder, Ambition24hours
Every year on 12 May, the world marks International Nurses Day - the birthday of Florence Nightingale, and a date that carries real weight in healthcare. In 2026, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has set the theme as "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives." It is not a slogan. It is a call to action.
I founded Ambition24hours in 1996 because I believed nursing deserved better. Agencies operated during office hours while wards ran out of staff at 2am. Nurses who stepped up for last-minute shifts received standard pay, not the recognition the sacrifice warranted. That had to change.
Nearly 30 years on, I still believe the same thing: when you empower nurses, they deliver better care, stay longer in the profession, and ultimately save more lives.
This International Nurses Day, we celebrate that conviction - and we celebrate one nurse in particular who embodies it.
The Registered Nurse Who Almost Chose Aviation
Precious Masenda did not grow up dreaming of nursing. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in the UK from age 16, she had her sights on aviation. When work experience in that field proved impossible to find, her mother - already a nurse in the UK - pointed her in a different direction.
"At first, I was like, no, never. I'm not that girl," she says. "But now I wouldn't look back. I wouldn't change a thing. I feel like this was meant to be. This is my calling."
She qualified in 2021, and from her very first shift - which involved a blocked macerator, a ward full of curious colleagues, and a very determined student nurse - Precious decided she would ask better questions and never make the same mistake twice. That attitude defines her.
Today, her clients request her by name. Our team nominated her as Ambition24hours Nurse of the Year because she is, in their words, "a highly dependable and experienced nurse" whose leadership and standards of care have earned the trust of every facility she works in.
What Empowerment Actually Looks Like at the Bedside
The ICN's 2026 theme asks governments, healthcare systems, and employers to invest in nurses - not just in words, but in pay, resources, and conditions. The RCN echoes this, calling on the UK to recognise nursing as a global profession: one built on the contributions of internationally educated nurses who bring skills, resilience, and cultural intelligence to every ward.
Precious carries her Zimbabwean values into every bedside interaction. "If you're caring for someone, you go all the way. You treat them like they're your grandma," she says. "If you ever meet anyone from Southern Africa, there's something about their personality - they're kind, caring, and take time to look after you."
That human quality - the ability to connect, to sit with someone in their most vulnerable moment - is not a soft skill. It is clinical excellence. And it is what palliative care demands. Precious works most confidently in this specialty.
"If you send me to palliative care, that's my bread and butter. You'll see me doing a little jog or singing a little bit down the corridor."
Being the last person to hold a patient's hand, or sitting with a grieving family through the night - for Precious, that carries profound meaning. And for the healthcare providers who rely on Ambition24hours to supply staff with exactly that quality of presence, it matters that we know who our nurses are, what drives them, and where they do their best work.
How Ambition24hours Empowers Nurses to Save Lives
Empowerment is not abstract. At Ambition24hours, it means:
Competitive, weekly pay - nurses receive payment every Friday, and those who cover last-minute shifts receive increased rates of pay. Respect starts with the payslip.
24/7 Consultant support - our team works around the clock. A nurse who needs help at midnight on a bank holiday reaches a person, not a voicemail.
Access to CPD and discounted training courses - from safeguarding to palliative care, we support and help fund ongoing professional development so nurses can specialise, progress, and stay current.
Flexible shift patterns - nurses choose when and where they work, across NHS and private facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, community settings, and complex home care.
Compliance-first onboarding - every nurse on our books is interviewed, reference-checked, and fully verified. Our clients get compliant staff; our nurses get the confidence of working for a Trusted NHS Supplier, within a rigorous framework.
Precious's path to palliative care specialism runs through exactly this kind of support. She is currently working toward becoming a palliative care specialist nurse. "This is my path," she says. "It's my calling."
We intend to be part of that journey.
A Word to Healthcare Providers
If you manage a ward, a nursing home, or an integrated care system, you know the staffing gap better than most commentators. The NHS loses experienced nurses to burnout, to poor pay, and to a sense that they are not valued. Agency nursing, done well, is part of the solution - not the problem.
Ambition24hours places nurses who are engaged, skilled, and compliant. We hold CQC registration in England and registration with the Care Inspectorate in Scotland. When you book with us, you access a national database of pre-vetted clinical professionals across specialties - from ICU and A&E to mental health, community nursing, and palliative care.
Last-minute staffing is what we built our name on. It remains what we do best.
To book staff: call 0330 678 3011, email bookings@ambition24hours.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0738 0278 107.
To Every Nurse Reading This
International Nurses Day is your day. But it should also reflect a year-round commitment from every employer, agency, and system you work within.
If Precious's story resonates - if you are a nurse who found your calling, or who is still looking for the right environment to do your best work - we want to hear from you.
Register to work with Ambition24hours Nursing Agency. Join a team that recognises your individual impact, supports your career goals, and pays you what you are worth.
Happy International Nurses Day 2026. Thank you for everything you do.
- Penny Streeter OBE, Founder, Ambition24hours
Frequently Asked Questions: Agency Nursing in the UK (2026)
1. How do I register as an agency nurse with Ambition24hours? Registration is completed online via our website. You will need proof of your NMC registration, two professional references, valid ID, and up-to-date mandatory training certificates. Our compliance team guides you through every step via Staffshift or WhatsApp on 0772 3559 602. Most nurses complete onboarding within days.
2. How much can I earn as an agency nurse in the UK in 2026? Pay varies by band, specialty, and shift type. At Ambition24hours, we offer competitive rates across all nursing grades - including enhanced rates for last-minute and unsocial hours cover. Check Staffshift or contact our recruitment team to confirm the exact pay rate per shift. Payment is processed weekly, every Friday.
3. What specialties does Ambition24hours cover? We supply nurses across a wide range of clinical settings: ICU, A&E, mental health, learning disabilities, community, palliative and complex care, occupational health, school nursing, theatre, and general ward. We also place Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) and, through our sister division Ambition24hours Locums and Allied, we supply locum doctors and allied health professionals.
4. Is Ambition24hours registered and compliant? Yes. Ambition24hours is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland. Every nurse and HCA on our books is interviewed, reference-checked, and verified against NMC registration before taking a shift. Compliance requirements - including specific ID checks and training - can be tailored to your facility's needs.
5. What is the ICN theme for International Nurses Day 2026? The International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2026 theme is "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives." It calls on healthcare systems globally to invest in nurse education, fair pay, safe working conditions, and leadership opportunities. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in the UK has aligned its own International Nurses Day messaging around nursing as a global profession, highlighting the vital contribution of internationally educated nurses to the UK healthcare workforce.
