It seems like every time that I turn on the news, things are worse and it can get overwhelming. Our economy is in trouble, unemployment is rising, and businesses are laying off employees or closing all together. The value of jobs, homes, retirement plans, and so forth, is declining. After 30 minutes of doom and gloom, I feel like I need something uplifting, something encouraging. It turns out that I didn't have to go far to find it; I think about a choice that I made a long time ago, I became a nurse.

First of all, I am a member of one of the greatest professions I know, nursing. When someone asks me what my occupation is and I reply, he or she immediately tells me about a time when he or she had direct contact with a nurse. A smile usually accompanies the story even if the story spoke of a time of sorrow.

Second, my profession has great value whether in times of a strong or poor economy. I recently heard a comment by a peer at a conference that has remained with me. "Nurses are with us when we are born and when we die and in the in-between." What an awesome responsibility that is, but also an awesome privilege. How many professions can say that?

I decided to poll some of my employees as to how they would describe the "value of nursing."

The nurses I chose had a variety of years of experience. Nancy, an RN for 26 years, told me it is the opportunity to help people and also educate them on obtaining and maintaining a healthy state of being. As a 2-year RN, Linda said she felt the value was what nursing brings to the table. As in what we have to offer. She went further to call it "a bag of tricks." We not only offer our patients care for their medical problems but also take into account the psychological and social issues that surround them. Nurses are taught to focus on the whole person not just the diagnosis. Pam, who has been an LPN for 16 years, says her definition revolves around being a personal advocate for patients and their families. Acting as a liaison to bridge the gap between the patient and his or her physician is what Lori, an 8-year RN, describes for me as her value of nursing. All of these nurses spoke of enjoying interacting, educating, and advocating for their patients. They each responded quickly about how important and worthwhile the career was they had chosen. As Lori noted, other careers may come in and out of vogue yet nursing is always a constant.

As we approach Nurses Week of May 6-12, we celebrate the value of our profession and value of our peers. I recently read the American Nurses Association Nurses Code of Ethics, which speaks to the fact that nurses practice with compassion and respect for the person who is before them. The Code speaks of nurses who are staunch advocates for dignified and humane care of those suffering. Nurses are the ones who educate for the prevention of illness and the alleviation of pain and suffering.

As a professional nursing organization, ASPSN has the responsibility to communicate and affirm the values of our profession to its members. Ways in which we carry out this responsibility is through our Core Curriculum, Scope and Standards of Practice, Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse certification, educational offerings for required nursing practice, and the involvement of our members to advance this chosen specialty.

In this time of economic crisis, I am comforted by the knowledge that the value of nursing has always been there and doesn't fluctuate with the daily news of events. After all, nurses are "there when we are born and when we die and in the in-between." I wouldn't have it any other way.