Nurses' Week is around the corner

Nurses Week is around the corner, and for the second year in a row I am helping organize the events for this week in our hospital. Today,  I was thinking about the theme for the National Nurses' Week and how it applies to all of us. Here is what I came up with:

Dear Nurse,

You advocate, you lead, you care.

You know that everyday work is important for the patients and families, but the challenges can sometimes be so overwhelming. During such times, you may just need a little pick-me-up to help you keep going. These words of inspiration are dedicated to YOU.

--  you advocate; you fight for your patients’ well-being, you go through the trouble of making the fifth phone call to the doctor to make sure your cancer patient gets enough pain medication. You know that “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do”. (Goete)

 --  you lead, you go through a stress of a specialty certification because you want to lead new nurses to excellence in care. You know that “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”. (John Quincy Adams)

  --  you care.  You hold the hand of the patient, and tell them that everything is going to be just fine. To be a nurse for you is to do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through because you care. “They may forget your name but they will never forget how you made them feel”. (Maya Angelou)

Happy Nurses’ Week!