May 05, 2005
Thursday

Imagine a world without nurses, for a moment. If you can, then you will easily appreciate the many nurses who have impacted your life in one way or another over the years. Maybe it was a nurse who cared for your ill child, or your mother after surgery, or perhaps your friend with cancer. Maybe the nurse you appreciate is the one who is only a phone call away to given on the spot advice when you are worried about someone you love. Whoever he or she is in your life, this is the week to share your appreciation for the nurses you know by joining the nation in celebrating National Nurses Week, May 6th through May 12th. This date corresponds with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Not long ago I attended an American Nurses Association Convention in which Gretta Styles, a nationally renowned nurse leader, shared her ideas about what our world might be like if there were no nurses. She said, Imagine a world without nurses. Think of a world without persons who know what nurses know; who believe as nurses believe; who do what nurses do; who have the effect that nurses have upon the health of individuals, families, communities and the nation It was a memorable and moving speech about the value of nurses in our communities and one I think fitting to share as we celebrate Nurses Week.

National Nurses Week is being celebrated all over the country to raise public awareness of the value of nurses and the many vital roles they play in meeting the health care needs of the American people. So, find a nurse you appreciate and honor them for their dedication, commitment and efforts in providing health care to you and the people in our community.

Rebecca Bolling RN
President, Alaska Nurses Association
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

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