I recently returned from a professional visit to Japan where I discussed NP education, practices, and the effectiveness of NPs in the United States. The trip was my fourth to Japan, and the experience reconfirmed the fact that nurses worldwide are very similar in their mission of service. Like nurses in the United States, Japanese nurses strive to provide the highest possible standard of care in order to improve health outcomes and quality of life.
In an effort to move nursing practice forward, nursing schools and faculties in Japan are exploring the advanced practice nursing (APN) role as a way to increase providers of care to underserved populations in the community.
One university enrolled its first students in the premiere NP master's program in Japan that began this April. The program is the culminating result of several years of hard work and planning. They have many challenges ahead, and I applaud their courage and this accomplishment. As we celebrate National Nurses Week this month, recognizing this important achievement is not only appropriate, but carries on a tradition conceptualized long ago that has just recently attained its rightful status.
Formal Recognition
Efforts to have formal recognition of the work nurses do began in 1953, but it was not until 1982 that the U.S. Congress signed a joint resolution proclaiming May 6th as National Recognition Day for Nurses. Activities have since been expanded to cover an entire week.
The American Nurses Association titled this year's celebration "Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day."1 Hospitals, nursing schools, corporations, and many other practice settings have planned several events to honor nurses, culminating on May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated International Nurse Day on this date since 1965, and the theme selected for this year is "Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care."2 The ICN document begins: "Primary healthcare is the first level of contact with the national health system for individuals, families, and the community, bringing healthcare as close as possible to where people live and work."2
So as we each, in our own way, celebrate National Nurses Week May 6-12, do not forget our international colleagues and extend your acknowledgments beyond our borders. Their challenges and achievements have assisted us in advancing the science of nursing and professional practice within the United States.
Striving for Success
The NP movement in the United States started with primary care service delivery in pediatrics. We now practice in many other specialties and subspecialties, cognizant of the tasks ahead to meet the healthcare needs of the population. These needs include increasing access to care, eliminating disparities, and improving health outcomes. Every day what we do as nurses does make a difference.
The Nurse Practitioner: The American Journal of Primary Healthcare is committed to continued excellence in bringing readers clinical, practical, and cutting-edge information for APNs and other primary care clinicians. I would like to give a special acknowledgment to the members of our new Editorial Advisory Board-I feel honored to have the privilege of working with such a dedicated group of nurses.
Jamesetta Newland, APRN, BC, FNP, FAANP, FNAP, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
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