Health bosses have shown their appreciation for nurses and midwives on the same day as Florence Nightingale's birth.
Nurses' Day, held annually on May 12, gives the NHS, patients and the public the chance to thank nurses and midwives while promoting the important role they play in health and social care.
Click on the images below to read the stories of nurses working in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Chief executive of East Coast Community Healthcare, Jonathan Williams, himself a former nurse, said: 'I am so proud of all our nurses. It's a very special profession in which you literally have the power to change people's lives for the better. It's not just about medical treatment, it's about taking care of every aspect of a person's needs whether that's a mum trying to breastfeed their new baby or someone in the final stages of life.
'It can be tough and emotionally draining but it's also one of the most rewarding jobs you can do. I have huge admiration and respect for all our nurses and the staff who support them to do their job so well.'
Director of nursing at the James Paget University Hospital Julia Hunt said: 'Nursing is an extremely rewarding career that offers plenty of opportunities. Here at the James Paget we have some truly exceptional nurses and we're delighted that their efforts have been recognised over the past year with a number of national awards – including winning the Nursing Times Learning Disabilities Nursing award and the British Journal of Nursing's Nurse of the Year award.
'While these have highlighted individuals, these winners recognise the role their colleagues play in supporting the work they are doing and it is something the whole team at the Paget can be proud of – it is a real team effort to achieve this recognition.'
Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust's nursing team is headed by Dawn Collins, interim director of nursing, quality and patient safety.
A nurse for more than 30 years, she took up her current post late last year and leads the trust's 1,188 registered nurses, 1,009 unregistered staff, 184 allied health professionals (AHPs) such as physiotherapists, and 32 staff with a learning disabilities qualification.
Ms Collins said Florence Nightingale is a symbol of pioneering nursing and NSFT has plenty of its own truly inspirational and pioneering nurses.
She said: 'While Nurses' Day may be focused on the nursing profession, it's important that our nurses know they are just part of the team who look after our patients, and it's essential to appreciate and celebrate the massive contribution made by all our healthcare and support professionals.'
Frances Bolger, acting director of nursing at Norfolk and Norwich University Hosptial, said: 'I'm tremendously proud to lead a team of dedicated and inspirational nurses. Nurses' Day is a great way to reflect on what makes us proud to be nurses and a chance for everyone to thank them for what they do.'
Tracy Williams, chair of NHS Norwich CCG and a Queens Nurse, added: 'The nursing profession is often described as being at the heart of healthcare. Fundamental to nursing practice is the ability to put the patients we care for at the centre of all we do, knowing that every day you will touch a life and a life will touch yours.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here