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One of our most important professions is in critical condition.
Over the past decade, the United States has experienced a profound shortage of nurses. With a national vacancy rate for registered nurses (RN) at more than 4 percent, long-term programs to support the profession are crucial and with the aging population and shifts in the healthcare system, the need for nurses is expected to increase even more.
Nurses are the critical, yet sometimes understaffed backbone of medical care in emergency rooms, hospitals, military facilities, clinics, schools, homeless shelters and nursing homes. They often provide the link between patients and their treatment; nurses can help determine the experience we have while visiting a doctor or hospital. They work hard, and at times their contributions may go unnoticed.
National Nurses Week, May 6-12, offers an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the vital role that nurses play in our lives.
“Nurses truly are society’s caregivers. They are there for all of us when we need them most. Their care, comfort and support truly make a difference in the lives of their patients and families every day,” said Andrea Higham, director of the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future. “Nurses play an incredibly important role in our communities, and we’re committed to supporting this profession so they’ll be able to continue their important and life-saving work.”
The Campaign for Nursing’s Future, established by Johnson & Johnson in 2002, is a national initiative to enhance the image of the nursing profession, recruit new nurses and nurse faculty and help retain nurses currently in the profession.
The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future urges everyone to take the opportunity during National Nurses Week to thank a nurse – post a thank you note on the “Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson” Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jnjnursingnotes) and click the “Thank a Nurse” tab, or tweet about a time when a nurse helped you using the hashtags #NNW2011, and #ThankaNurse.
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