Touro University Nevada’s Nursing Faculty Discuss Importance of the Profession for National Nurses Week
In celebration of National Nurses Week, celebrated every year in May and culminating on Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12, faculty from the School of Nursing discussed several aspects about the nursing profession, and why it is so vital to our society.
Theresa Tarrant, PhD, RN, CNE
Director
Nursing, at its core, is about caring for others. Nurses do this in a variety of ways: from bedside nursing, specialty nursing, as primary care providers, as leaders in the classroom, the boardroom and beyond.
Nurses Week is celebrated every year starting on May 6 and ending May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Ms. Nightingale was born to an affluent British family in 1820. It was expected that she would live her life as one born to the “upper social circles” during the Victorian Era.
Instead, she chose a life caring for others- often in very difficult situations. Caring for patients with cholera and other diseases due to unsanitary conditions in London, she then volunteered for the Crimea War caring for gravely injured soldiers without needed supplies, again under intolerable conditions.
I can’t help but think that Florence would be proud of the choices made by many nurses over the past few years. We chose to stay and care for patients at a time when science didn’t fully understand Covid, needed supplies were lacking and much of the world was safe at home. I thank these nurses for all they sacrificed for us. Congratulations on a job well done under incredible circumstances. Florence would be proud!
Samantha Peckham, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC
Assistant Professor
National associations encourage employers, policy makers, healthcare providers, and the general public to refer to nurse practitioners (NPs) by their title. The term “mid-level provider” implies an inaccurate hierarchy within clinical practice. This term confuses health care consumers and the general public due to its vague nature and is not a true reflection of the importance of the NP role.
NPs are licensed, independent practitioners. NPs work throughout the entirety of health care, from health promotion and disease prevention to diagnosing and treatment of both acute and chronic diseases. NPs practice at the highest level of professional nursing practice. It is well established that patient outcomes for NPs are comparable to or better than that of physicians. Best practices call for referring to each health care provider by their individual title and eliminating outdated terms to ensure public understanding of the quality, and value of the NP title and role.
About the Touro Nursing Program