GO NURSES! Nursing Week 2011

National Nurses Week, in my past experience, is a time of goofy refrigerator magnets, donuts in the break room, free lunch, or any number of cheap trinkets.  Don’t hear me wrong, the recognition of the week and of nursing is certainly appreciated.  In difficult economic times it is certain that extravagant gifts, time off from work, or other costly offerings cannot be given, but nurses really want for none of this whether expensive or trite and lucky for us National Nurses Week is changing.

National Nurses Week is evolving into a time of recognition and celebration, of not only service but of teamwork, scientific advancement, and promise of hope and change for a crippled national health care system.  Nurses are participating in the development of new collaborations and new leadership in areas like the IHI Transforming Care at the Bedside Initiative.  Nurses are integral in health care policy, revolutions in nursing education,  patient safety, and development of nurse managed health care centers.   The movement and leadership of nurses is being more widely recognized as well.  The 2011 list of the top 25 women in health care sports 5 nurses this year.

Nurses are also pushing scientific advancement and patient care by conducting research on new treatments into decreasing patient morbidity and mortality, staffing,  ICU design, family presence in emergency room resuscitation, and more.  University nursing schools, from prestigious and established programs like the  University of Pennsylvania to the impressive upcoming doctoral nursing programs like the ones at the University of Missouri Kansas City, are developing not only valid answers to health care questions but new and inspired nurse researchers to answer ever developing ones.

More than expanding the boundaries of science and patient health, nurses are the key profession on the front lines of health care, present in both the emergence of new life, the departure of it and everywhere in between. Nurses have been there continually advocating, assessing, intervening, and assessing again; sometimes even standing up against the odds of cost restrictions, administrations, physicians, and the lateral violence of other nurses.  Nurses continue despite difficulties and will continue to do so.  Below are some great resources by the American Nurses Association and Johnson & Johnson to encourage all nurses.  Perhaps you can help encourage one too!  National Nurses Week is changing for sure, changing because of the great nurses within the greatest profession.

GO NURSES!

ANA Nurses Week 2011 resources:

National Nurses Week: Trusted to Care

Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nurses

Watch the new J&J Campaign for Nurses Ads – Watch the first three. Real nurses, in diverse care areas.

Upload your thanks to a nurse by uploading nursing pictures into the mosaic at the Campaign for Nurses

Thank a nurse on Facebook at the J&J page

Free CE on de-stressing – Just for nurses

Have a couple of laughs playing the Happy Nurse