By Eric Wolf Schoen
Over the last few months I have had the occasion to interact with many wonderful nurses. And this being National Nurses Week, what better time to salute the ladies and gentlemen who make our health system work.
From the nurse who wakes you up at 5:30 a.m. to draw blood, the nurse who gives you your medications at 6 a.m., the nurse who makes sure you are nourished throughout the day, the 10 a.m. pill nurse in reality the noon, 2:00 p.m., 6: p.m. 10 p.m. and midnight pill nurse, the doctors give orders but the nurses are the ones who carry them through.
Let’s not forget the nurse who cleans the bed pans to the nurse who cleans the mess you just made to the nurse who puts you to bed at night to the nurse who gently wakes you up in the morning to start another day that will be free of pain.
Being a nurse is no easy task. And hospitals are increasing the roles nurses play while at the same time cutting back support staff such certified nurses assistants. There hasn’t been a hospital that I have been in where nurses who put in 8 to 12 hour days have not been asked to stay overtime due nursing shortages throughout the country.
Why are there nursing shortages? COVID has had a major role to play. Many hospital nurses looked for other ways to use their skills with less risk to themselves and their families. Pay for nurses should be much higher, and working conditions should be much better. They toil along doing the work of two people and they are just old fashion tired!
This year the American Nurses Enterprise is shining a light on The Power of Nurses™. We recognize the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide and the real-life challenges they face every day. Whether you’re a nurse, a healthcare professional, a patient, or simply someone who appreciates the critical role nurses play in our lives and society, National Nurses Week is the perfect time to share your gratitude and celebrate nurses.
With exciting opportunities to engage, contribute, share your stories, activate locally, and elevate #ThePowerOfNurses, I hope you will consider participating in some or all of American Nurses Enterprise planned activities. You can join the Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation™ Wellness Challenge and save 25% on American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certifications and American Nurses Association (ANA) Certification Preparation.
You can also enter the National Nurses Week Getaway Giveaway Sweepstakes to win a $4500 grand prize and see a map of where we will Light Up the Sky to celebrate nurses. You can register for a webinar, support nurses with a donation through the American Nurses Foundation and download the toolkit to empower your National Nurses Week celebrations.
Let’s not forget the nurses families who get woken up in the middle of the night to see if their husband, wife, partner can come in early or come in on their day off. They, too have Strain on their lives not knowing when or if dinner will be ready.
Nurses. You hope you never have to see them but if you do you’re glad they are there. They are special people and a critical part of health care in America and throughout the world!
Reach Eric Wolf Schoen at ewschoen@aol.com
