National Nurses Week and supporting each other
This year’s National Nurses Week overarching theme is “Nurses Make the Difference.” I couldn’t agree more. Nurses make the difference while caring for patients at the bedside, leading teams and organizations, conducting research, and working within our communities.
American Nurse Journal has broken down the weeklong celebration (May 6 – May 12) into four sub-themes: education, teamwork and collaboration, quality bedside patient care, and compassion.
Education
Every nurse I know is a life-long learner. We engage in continuing education, collaborate with professionals from other disciplines, and seek out opportunities to gain as much knowledge as possible about best practices and evidence-based innovations in healthcare.
Collaboration and teamwork
For an excellent example of nurse teamwork, look no further than the All Pro Nursing Team awards in the April issue of American Nurse Journal. These teams show how nurses work together (and with other professionals) to improve patient care and enhance their work environments.
Quality bedside patient care
The quality patient care nurses provide involves clinical procedures, assessments and evaluations, advocacy, and listening. Each element ensures individual patient needs are met and the best possible healthcare outcomes are achieved.
Compassion
Without the compassion embodied in nursing, patients wouldn’t receive personalized care. Nurses work with patients and their families, listen to their fears and concerns, and speak up when needs aren’t met.
International Nurses Day
And let’s not forget International Nurses Day on May 12. This year’s theme, Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care, illuminates the benefits of elevating the nursing profession worldwide, with an in-depth analysis of how we’re transforming healthcare delivery, economic development, peace, and societal well-being. International Council of Nurses President and American Nurse Journal Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Dr. Pam Cipriano notes, “This International Nurses Day we are highlighting the economic reasons for investing in nursing jobs, education, and leadership. The world took notice of the compassionate care of nurses during the pandemic and now it’s time for everyone to realize the long-standing and far-reaching effects nurses have for healing the health system itself.”
Offer support
American Nurse Journal’s four elements of Nurses Week—education, teamwork and collaboration, quality bedside care, and compassion—create individual nurses who respond to patient needs, address healthcare challenges, work toward innovation, and lead the profession toward excellence. Take a moment to acknowledge the difference you make. And don’t forget to recognize your colleagues as well. Point to a specific instance where they made a difference and thank them for all of their hard work. Nurses who support each other support the profession. To personally thank a nurse, click the QR code at left.
Lillee Gelinas, DNP, RN, CPPS, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
American Nurse Journal. 2024; 19(5). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ052404
