This month, we celebrated International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day.

These days offer a great opportunity to collectively honour the professions that stand at the heart of healthcare. Nursing and midwifery are more than professions; they are fundamental to the strength and resilience of our entire healthcare system and our society.

On behalf of the Board, NMBI acknowledges the central role midwives play in maintaining and enhancing the standards of maternity care. Midwives are trusted, compassionate and skilled leaders who are there at the beginning when new life enters the world. They are life-bringers, change-makers and cornerstones of healthier futures.

Across hospital and community settings, midwives consistently demonstrate professionalism in the delivery of maternity and newborn services that are evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of women, babies, and families. Their work ensures that every woman, every baby and every family receive compassionate and respectful care.

As a Board, we also acknowledge and commend the vital role of nurses who deliver safe, person-centred healthcare. As a nurse, I know how fortunate we are to have the most compassionate, caring and committed nurses working in the Irish healthcare service.

Nurses across every part of our health service continue to provide essential care in leadership, acute, primary, mental health, disability, children’s, community and other settings. Their professionalism and clinical judgement are at the core of positive health outcomes.

As the regulator, we are proud to support and safeguard the integrity of nursing and midwifery practice. We remain committed to ensuring that our registrants are supported through robust professional standards, continued competence frameworks and the promotion of lifelong learning. We believe sustaining and empowering the professions is essential to the future of healthcare in Ireland.

On behalf of the Board, I extend my sincere gratitude to all our registrants who contribute, often under challenging circumstances, to the protection of public health and the delivery of high-quality care. Your work is essential, valued and deeply appreciated. It truly enhances lives and has a profound and lasting impact on individuals, families and communities across Ireland.