ANA Celebrates National Nurses Week, Recognizes Nurses’ Impact on Health Care

CONTACT:
Shannon McClendon, 301-628-5391
shannon.mcclendon@ana.org
Rachel Farbman, 301-628-5062
rachel.farbman@ana.org

SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA) is proud to continue its commitment to protecting, promoting, and improving health care as part of 2018’s National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is observed each year from May 6 through May 12 and recognizes the significant contributions nurses make to improve the health of the nation. More than 4 million registered nurses (RNs) comprise the largest group of health care professionals in the United States. Nurses work in every health care setting and, for 16 consecutive years, the public has rated nursing the most honest and ethical profession.

This year’s National Nurses Week theme is “Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence.” The focus on nurses’ ability to influence the profession and all aspects of health care will continue throughout the year as part of the “Year of Advocacy”. ANA will offer nurses strategies and tools to be effective advocates and showcase nurses engaged in a variety of efforts at all levels.

“Because of nurses’ wide-ranging roles and our sheer numbers, we are well positioned to identify and help solve many public health problems in the course of providing individual care to our patients and their families,” said ANA President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Nurses have successfully used our voices and expertise to inspire, innovate, and influence to advance the health of our nation. I urge all nurses to become passionate about public health and to advocate for the causes that they feel strongly about.”

Nurses, hospitals, and other health care stakeholders are encouraged to download the National Nurses Week Resource Toolkit, which includes materials to help promote this annual observance in local communities and in the media. ANA will also offer a free webinar on May 9 during National Nurses Week, titled “Emerging Technology and Its Impact on Nursing Practice!” This hour-long webinar will explore emerging technology trends and their impact on nursing practice. Dan Weberg, PhD, RN, senior director of Innovation and Leadership for Kaiser Permanente’s National Nursing Leadership and Strategy Team, will discuss what the future of nursing looks like and how nurses can prepare for what lies ahead. Learn more about the webinar and register to attend.