National Nurses Week is May 6th - May 12th.
It’s National Nurses Week
National Nurses Week occurs every year, and it always ends on May 12th to honor Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nightingale According to the American Nursing Association, celebrating nurses has been a part of our country since the 1950s.
The importance of nurses
Nurses are critically important in a patient’s journey. Overall, nurses are with patients the whole time. From their initial assessment to their discharge, nurses care for patients throughout their entire experience. Additionally, nurses deal with patients at their most vulnerable moments, and this can be emotionally intense.
Nursing can be stressful and requires a unique combination of qualities and strengths to identify patient needs and make decisions that protect the patient. Also, nurses complete important documentation in addition to the care they provide. This data is crucial for the care team to know what’s going on and for ensuring quality patient care. That’s why it’s important to recognize the work our nurses do.
Celebrating the nurses in your life
National Nurses Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the nurses in your life. The American Association for Critical Care Nurses (AACCN) highlights the importance of meaningful recognition of nurses. In summary, this concept can be
summarized this way: Organizations and teams must recognize nurses and nurses must recognize one another for what each member contributes.
Dr. Marian Altman from the AACCN suggests that team leads implement daily gratitude within their huddles. This would give nurses the opportunity to share what they’re grateful for, and it would give teams the opportunity to recognize individual employees. Altman also encourages nurses to “take an active role in their organization’s recognition structures.”
Outside of the workplace, there are other ways to honor nurses. Several stores and restaurants give discounts to nurses during this week. Do you have a loved one who works as a nurse? Or, have you been impacted by a nurse? Writing a note about how their work has impacted you could help them feel appreciated and celebrated this week. If you want to treat a loved one, think about what will make them feel most loved and appreciated.
Nursing degrees at Concordia University
Nursing is a very rewarding, in-demand career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the registered nurse workforce will grow by 12 percent between 2018 and 2028. This is significantly faster than other occupations. If you’re thinking about becoming a nurse or furthering your nursing education, learn more about your options. Concordia University Ann Arbor offers both the CNA certification course and a bachelor’s in nursing. If you’re already a nurse and you want to expand your skillset, consider earning a graduate degree.
— Vanessa Lane is the Content Marketing Lead at Concordia University and can be reached at vanessa.lane@cuaa.edu. When she's not at work, she can be found playing with her kids or watching NBA basketball with her husband.
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