EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

Celebrate National Nurses Week

The American Nurses Association (ANA) invites you to join in the observation of National Nurses Week, May 6 to 12, 2004. This year's theme, "Nurses: Your voice, your health, your life," celebrates the United States' nearly 2.7 million registered nurses.

The ANA offers a host of ways your health care organization can celebrate Nurses Week. Consider the following:

[white diamond suit] Hold a special celebration or reception to honor nurses for heroic acts, years of service, exemplary courage, or commitment to the nursing profession.

[white diamond suit] Sponsor health fairs, conduct preventive screenings in underserved areas, or organize a walkathon to promote a positive nursing image.

[white diamond suit] Invite staff members to wear an "RN pin" and/or nurse's uniform in observation of the week.

[white diamond suit] Sponsor a community-wide art or poetry-writing contest in which children acknowledge their favorite nurse, a famous nurse, or family member who's a nurse-past or present. Display the artwork or poems in local schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

[white diamond suit] Organize and promote a free cholesterol and blood pressure screening in your community.

[white diamond suit] Observe and participate in Cover the Uninsured Week, May 10 to 16, 2004. The ANA encourages nurses to participate in addressing this issue because they see firsthand the consequences: sicker patients who've postponed needed health care.

For more information on how you can get involved in National Nurses' Week, visit http://www.nursing-world.org/pressrel/nnw.

Clarification

Please note the correct credentials of Wanda Johanson, RN, MN, co-author of "Bringing end-of-life care out of the shadows" (March 2004).