2019 National Nurses Week

Every year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) takes the lead in celebrating the vast contributions of our nation’s registered nurses during National Nurses Week which is held May 6-12. These talking points and key messages can be repurposed or tailored when drafting content and materials, speaking with reporters, and sharing news on social media.

National Nurses Week is a time for individuals, employers, other health care professionals, community leaders and nurses to recognize the vast contributions and positive impact of America’s 4 million registered nurses.

• Nurses are everywhere we live, work, play, learn, and worship, and in every health care setting providing care to millions of people. In fact, about 1 in every 100 Americans is a registered nurse.

 

• Nurses are closest to patients, providing care from birth to the end of life, and practicing in settings that include hospitals, schools, home care, private practices and clinics, long term care facilities, hospice and many others.

 

• Through sheer numbers and wide-ranging roles, nurses have an unmatched perspective on prevention, wellness and delivery of health care services.   

 

• More than 4 million registered nurses comprise the largest group of health care professionals in the United States.

 

• Nurses are highly educated professionals, can become certified in a wide range of clinical specialties and/or patient populations and hold a wide range of positions including in direct care, in executive leadership, research, academia and policy.

 

• For 17 consecutive years, the American public has ranked nurses the professionals with the highest honesty and ethical standards. These results underscore the deep trust that the public has in nurses.

The tagline for this year’s National Nurses Week is 4 Million Reasons to Celebrate -- a nod to nurses’ sheer numbers and an open invitation to #ThankaNurse for enriching our lives and the world we live in.

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ commitment to addressing many public health challenges to transform health care to focus on health and wellness, in addition to illness care.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ commitment to delivering culturally competent care and increasing diversity and inclusion in nursing.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ ground-breaking work as researchers, executives, educators and innovators on national and global initiatives.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ influence in shaping health policy decisions that ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ role as a trusted advocate to ensure that individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations receive quality patient care and services.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ voice on important issues like immunization, health behaviors, natural disaster preparedness, education, and violence prevention.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ leadership in their organizations, on boards of directors and as elected officials at the local, state and federal levels.

 

• Let’s celebrate nurses’ stories of strength, resilience and determination while navigating an ever-changing and complex health care landscape.