What I enjoy about Nurses' Week is the opportunity to celebrate our profession and each other's accomplishments. Let's take a look at some nursing facts:
* With 3.1 million RNs nationwide, we're the largest healthcare profession.
* RNs compose one of the largest segments of the U.S. workforce.
* According to the U.S. Board of Labor Statistics, registered nursing is one of the top occupations in terms of job growth, with a 26% increase expected from 2010 to 2020.
* Most healthcare services involve some form of care by nurses.
* The United States has four times as many RNs as physicians.
* As of May 2010, the median annual wage was $64,690.
* Nurses in their 50s are the second-largest segment in the nursing workforce, accounting for almost 25% of the RN population.
* According to Gallup polls, nurses have topped the honesty and ethics list for more than 11 years.
We're 3.1 million strong and people trust us. Wow, how powerful is that? Align that number with the Institute of Medicine's directive in its Future of Nursing report that, "Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning healthcare in the United States," and think about the possibilities. That's something that each of us should act on and never take for granted. This is our time to own our practice and drive patient outcomes.
So how do we do that? Get involved in your professional organization and join committees in your hospital. Think globally and act locally. Remember to give a shout-out when your colleagues accomplish something significant. We need to let the world know what we are doing as nurses. Too often we're doing terrific things, yet we don't let others know, we just go about our humble ways. Be loud and be proud of our profession.
Until the next time, be healthy, be happy, be great advocates for your patients, and celebrate nursing!
AnneMarie Palatnik, MSN, RN, APN-BC
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