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National Nurses Month

You Make a Difference

Thank you for celebrating Nurses Month with us in 2023! We are proud of your work and proud to support you as you care for patients and demonstrate to the world the power of nurses.

From the Desk of the Chief Nurse

Nursing: Making a Difference Every Day!
Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN
May is the month we celebrate Florence Nightingale’s birthday and the nursing profession. What was once a week-long recognition has grown over the past few years to an entire month. I give thanks every day for having the opportunity to be a nurse. From the time I was a child, playing nurse with my dolls, I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to care for people, and I wanted to teach others how to become a nurse. Even during the pandemic with death all around me, I knew I was doing what I was meant to do. My story is not unique; it is the same story I hear time and time again; nurses are called to do what we do. Keep reading. 

Advice for Students & New Nurses 


Week 1 - Self-Care

May 1–7, 2023
How do you prioritize self-care? As nurses, we are often at the bottom of our own to-do lists. This week, focus on one aspect of self-care and start with one small step.

 
Building Resilience as a Nurse
We can’t continue to ask so much of ourselves and our colleagues. Time is running out; we need to protect and support one another. When the pandemic is a memory and COVID-19 is something we jot down in a patient’s history, we will still need nurses.

Nurses – Are you Journaling? You Should Be!
Journaling involves writing down experiences and thoughts, as well as any related insights. It’s a private conversation, a safe place to express oneself without disapproval or judgement. The health benefits are numerous and include reduced stress and anxiety, lowered blood pressure, and improved immune function.

A New Goal: Work-Life Integration
You are the gatekeeper of your own time. Find what's important to you in your life and remember you don't have to do it all. Here are suggestions to help you achieve harmony – physically, mentally, and spiritually.

10 Ways to Stay Positive during Tough Times
Many of us are feeling overwhelmed and even helpless but shifting to a more positive outlook can help get us through these tough times. This, of course, is not always so easy to do; it takes a conscious effort.

Week 2 – Recognition

May 8-14, 2023
We work in so many different settings and within so many different specialty areas. All the work we do impacts patients, families, communities, and beyond. This week, as we raise the visibility of our profession, let’s educate those around us about our diverse roles and areas of focus.
 
Recognizing Others by Sharing Gratitude and Kindness
Nursing is a caring profession, and we demonstrate this everyday by the care we deliver to our patients. Now it’s time to show some gratitude and kindness by caring for ourselves and our colleagues.

Say Thank You to a Colleague
Here’s a Thank You card to share with a fellow nurse or nurses. Download this template and let your colleagues know how much you appreciate them!
 

Week 3 – Professional Development

May 15-21, 2023
This week’s focus is on your career journey and professional development. Your knowledge and skills as a nurse make you a leader, no matter your role.

5 Ways to Advance your Nursing Career
I can’t think of a single nurse that hasn’t had at least one unanticipated twist or turn in their career journey! We are constantly learning and being exposed to different patient populations, experiences, and technologies. It makes sense that opportunities arise regularly for us to shift our career trajectory and explore new options. However, it is also not uncommon for a point to come in our careers when we feel stagnant or yearn for something different. Here’s some advice for when you are looking to advance your nursing career.

Scale your Influence and Expertise through Clinical Education
In this podcast, Candice R. Vaughan Griffin, Executive Director of Clinical Education and Professional Development with Banner Health discusses the power behind the standardization of clinical education and professional development and how it leads to enhanced patient care.

Nursing Career Articles
Discover tips for finding your first job and bridging the gap between school and practice, as well as resources related to career development and certification.

Education & Career Blog Posts
Learn best practices on maintaining a healthy work/life balance and must-have advice for professional advancement in nursing.

Nurses Month Industry Perspectives: Nurse Informaticists Make a Difference
Learn the revolutionary use of technologies in clinical practice, and opportunities to improve health equity and care quality using advanced technology.

Week 4 – Community Engagement

May 22-31, 2023
As nurses, we have a responsibility to keep our communities healthy and informed. By engaging with our community members, we can also lift our profile as a profession and encourage future nurses.

 

When I Step Inside the Nurses Clinic
As a former ICU nurse, working in community health never crossed my mind. I was used to patients paralyzed and sedated, mechanically ventilated, and requiring titration of multiple IV drugs to support them. How would I transition to a community health setting?

Improving Outcomes by Caring for Communities
Listen and learn from Terry Berkman, Director of Saint Agnes Nurses Center. We discuss the role of nurses and nurse practitioners in providing healthcare and health education in the community setting, plus identifying barriers to care to help patients be more successful and how a holistic view of patients in their community can improve outcomes.
 
Community & Public Health Nursing
Community and public health nursing focuses on the overall health of a population, promotion of wellness, and prevention of disease and disability. These nurses assess individuals and families within their community and individualize each plan of care based on genetic, lifestyle and environmental influences.

Family & Community Health
This practical quarterly presents creative, multidisciplinary perspectives and approaches for effective public and community health programs. Each issue focuses on a single timely topic and addresses issues of concern to a wide variety of population groups with diverse ethnic backgrounds, including children and the elderly, men and women, and rural and urban communities.