National Nurses Week May 6-12

The work of America’s 3.1 million licensed registered nurses positioned to assume leadership roles in health care and maintain the health of millions of individuals is the focus of this year’s National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6-12 throughout the U.S. The American Nurses Association has selected “Nurses Leading the Way” as the theme for 2014.

National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as Registered Nurses (RN) Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. Several Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing faculty members will celebrate by attending a Nurses Week Breakfast on Tuesday (May 6), and the Texas Nurses Association’s annual Nurses Week Banquet on May 12 at Covenant Medical Center to recognize the District 18 Nurse of the Year.

“All nurses are leaders, whether they are in direct contact with patients, teaching other nurses as faculty or preceptors, serving in administrative roles or meeting consumers’ needs as nurse-home visitors or patient navigators,” said TTUHSC School of Nursing Dean Michael L. Evans, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN. “This week, we acknowledge the immense impact nurses have on today’s health care field and how they are leading the way in improving patient care for residents in Texas and the rest of the country.”

National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which RNs, the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society.

The TTUHSC School of Nursing began in 1979 with the development of the first nationally accredited Continuing Nursing Education Program in Texas. With campuses in Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Dallas/Fort Worth and the Permian Basin, the school offers a variety of traditional and online programs. To date, the school has graduated more than 6,060 nurses.

Related Stories

A Rite of Passage for Next Generation of Physicians

Students in TTUHSC's School of Medicine Class of 2028 received their first white coat and pledged their commitment to the medical profession at the White Coat Ceremony Friday (July 26) at the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

As spring approaches, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Whether it’s a flower garden they desire or a vegetable garden want to have, they begin planning what they’ll plant and what they need to do to ensure a successful garden.

Adopt a Growth Mindset for a Better Life

A “growth mindset” accepts that our intelligence and talents can develop over time, and a person with that mindset understands that intelligence and talents can improve through effort and learning.

Recent Stories

Education

From Oil Field to Health Care: Chineme Chima-Nlewem, PA-C

Chineme Chima-Nlewem, PA-C, works as a pain management provider at MCH ProCare Interventional Pain Medicine - a career born out of her own painful experience.

Health

Navigating Holiday Cheer

Seasonal alcoholic beverages at festive parties are woven into many holiday traditions, and many experts agree that consumption can bring risks worth keeping in mind as the holiday season gets into full swing.

Education

Exceptional Value, Outstanding Outcomes: TTUHSC’s DPT Program

TTUHSC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program has been around for nearly 40 years.