Barton-Burke on National Nurses Week

Like I do on every National Nurses Day, I pause and reflect. So much has changed in the past 33 years since the day was officially recognized and is celebrated by millions every year. Yet so much remains the same. Nurses are at the heart of caring for patients and their families. According to the annual Gallup Survey, nurses are the most trusted profession. They are integral partners in care coordination. As a university professor, research scientist, public health advisor, and nurse activist, I celebrate National Nurses Day by looking to the future. Nurses of the past, such as Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix, broke ground in health and health care. Nurses of the present, such as Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN and Margaret Wilmoth, PhD, MSS, RN, FAAN, work to transform the way health care is delivered to all individuals. Nurses of the future are the nursing students of today and the nurses of tomorrow. Nurses are advocates by profession and by personality. We champion patients, peers, and profession like no one else. Nurses put patients first and adhere to the highest standards of evidence-based research, giving state-of-the-art care. We are neonatal and pediatric specialists; gerontology and palliative care nurses. And in my case, and that of my colleagues, we are oncology nurses. We see cancer up close, and find joy in providing care for those affected. National Nurses Day is a testament to the nation’s understanding and appreciation of the role of th...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news