There’s a reason why nursing has been rated by the public as the most honest, ethical profession for the last 16 years. As Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, once said, “The greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.”
This statement has never been more appropriate. We live in an age in which the term “hero” tends to be thrown around somewhat casually, while current events in our country and around the world certainly qualify as maddening. Of course, most nurses would be uncomfortable being called a hero, which is just one more reason why they deserve recognition during National Nurses Week.
Just like every year, National Nurses Week will begin on May 6 and end on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Although the first National Nurses Week was celebrated in October of 1954, the modern version of National Nurses Week in the U.S. as a yearly celebration has roots here in New Jersey.
In 1978, New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 to be Nurses Day. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and other nursing organizations took up the cause and President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 6, 1982 to be National Recognition Day for Nurses.
The ANA then expanded the recognition to National Nurses Week in 1991, designating May 6-12 as permanent dates. Since 1998, National Student Nurses Day has been celebrated on May 8, and National School Nurse Day has been celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week since 2003.
With the theme “Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence”, National Nurses Week 2018 will once again celebrate and promote the nursing profession. Various nursing organizations on the local, state and regional level, as well as educational institutions and healthcare companies, will be holding events that honor nurses and educate the public about the critical role nurses play in healthcare.
CentraState Medical Center was awarded the prestigious Magnet designation by the ANA’s American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2005. This designation is widely considered the gold standard for measuring the quality of patient care and nursing excellence. At the time, CentraState was just the 187th hospital out of more than 5,700 in the U.S. to receive this prestigious honor.
The Magnet honor not only reinforces the exceptional work and compassion of our nurses, but also our commitment to providing nurses with the support, resources and working environment they need to excel. We offer extensive training, continuing education and flexible scheduling in one of the most innovative, forward-thinking medical centers in New Jersey.
We couldn’t be prouder to celebrate nurses at CentraState and around the world during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, 2018. We hope you’ll join us in honoring nurses and advocating for the nursing profession during this special week and throughout the year.