The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Virgin Islands State Nurses Association (VISNA) said in a recent press release that they were proud to continue their commitment to help improve the health and wellness of nurses and the patients and communities they serve as part of 2017’s National Nurses Week.
Founded by ANA, National Nurses Week is observed each year from May 6 through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The week recognizes the significant contributions nurses make to improve the health of the nation.
This year’s theme for National Nurses Week is “The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.” With a focus on self-care, ANA has also designated 2017 as the “Year of the Healthy Nurse.” Each month, ANA is highlighting various health, safety, and wellness topics to help nurses achieve their best health ever. VISNA will also be sponsoring similar programs locally.
“Our focus on improving the health of America’s nurses goes beyond self-care,” said ANA President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Every time a nurse interacts with a patient, he or she has an opportunity to be a role model for good health. And a healthy nurse is more likely to talk to a patient about how to get healthy, and is more credible when promoting those behaviors. That’s how nurses can help change the health of America.”
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 during National Nurses Week. Entitled “A Nurse’s Guide to Preventing Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Burnout;” this hour-long program will help participants identify and manage some of the common challenges nurses face—compassion fatigue, moral distress, and burnout. More information about the webinar can be found here.
In another effort to help nurses get and stay healthy, the ANA Enterprise launched the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge on May 1. This national initiative aims to transform the health of the nation by improving the health of America’s 3.6 million registered nurses which includes 13,182 nurses registered in the Territory. The Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge will connect and engage individual nurses, employers of nurses, state nurses associations, and specialty nurses associations to take action to improve their health in five key areas: physical activity, rest, nutrition, quality of life, and safety. This initiative can be accessed on VISNA’s website visnaus.org by going to the ANA link.
On Friday, Government House issued a release recognizing Nurses Week. “I ask that all residents of these Virgin Islands join me in honoring our registered nurses who care for all of us and that all residents celebrate registered nurses’ accomplishments and efforts to improve our health care system, and show our appreciation for the Territory’s registered nurses not just during this week, but at every opportunity throughout the year,” he said.
The Juan F. Luis Hospital also issued a release recognizing Nurses Week, which the hospital said it will recognize from May 7-13.
Tags: national nurses week
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