Nurses Day – Happy Nurses Day 2010

Thursday, May 6, 2010 is Nurses Day. The day also opens the Nurses Week that runs until May 12 and celebrated to remember all of the valuable contributions nurses make to society.

May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Here is a part of the message by Rebecca M. Patton, President of the American Nurses Association.

Annually, National Nurses Week focuses on highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses are working to improve health care. Nursing is about growing and adapting to meet the public’s needs. Now is the time for all nurses to fully embrace and provide a new, even stronger level of leadership, partnering with physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professionals to direct and manage care effectively.

Today’s nurses must have the strength to care for patients during times of disaster and crisis; the commitment to remain involved in continuing education throughout their careers; and the compassion to provide hands-on patient care at the bedside – as we have done throughout the centuries. Moreover, at 3.1 million strong, nurses represent the largest group of health care workers in America, and we have the power to achieve much-needed reform in nursing and in health care. That is why it is important to take time out during National Nurses Week to thank nurses for all we do and to remind the public just how vital our nation’s nurses are to the well-being of society at large.