By Cathy Bealer, RN, MHA, FACMPE – Chief Nursing Officer at Sheridan Memorial Hospital
National Nurses Week is May 6-12, with the American Nurses Association recognizing and honoring nurses across the United States. Nurses have faced challenging times, especially over the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our organization was not immune to these unprecedented challenges. I want first to emphasize how proud I am of our nursing teams and the way they responded to these challenges. We exceeded our community’s expectations by providing outstanding care to patients and their families throughout the pandemic. And through it all, our nursing teams stepped up to care for each other.
As we reflect upon the past year, we are proud of our nurses’ commitment, compassion and resilience in caring for our patients, their families, and our community. I extend my genuine gratitude to each of them for the kindness and strength they have shown and the excellent care they have provided to our patients. Their work through the challenges, triumphs and losses over this past year has been remarkable, and they have worked tirelessly to ensure our patients and community have been cared for.
Reflecting on the past is helpful to realize just what our nursing team has achieved and what lies before us. We honor their contributions, and we thank them for the healing they bring. Organizational excellence begins with people, and our nursing professionals are an integral part of supporting our community.
Looking toward the future, our nurses are an inspiration, and their efforts make a difference in patients’ lives. Thank you to all nurses for their efforts and sacrifices as we work together to meet the needs of our community.
Happy Nurses week!!