West Virginia Nurses Association’s (WVNA)Members are spearheading initiatives to improve the quality of health care and to develop innovative, high-performing health care delivery methods. In recognition of nurses’ leadership, West Virginia Nurses Association and the nation will commemorate National Nurses Week with the theme, “Nurses: Leading the Way,” May 6-12. West Virginia’s Governor the Honorable Earl Ray Tomblin has also proclaimed the week as West Virginia Nurses Week.
The Affordable Care Act recognizes RNs’ crucial leadership skills by emphasizing the value of primary care, prevention, wellness, chronic disease management and care coordination services – focal points of care for nurses. The Institute of Medicine, in a report on the future of nursing, also acknowledges nurses’ leading role, recommending that nurses collaborate as full partners with physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning the health care system.
“From birth to the end of life, WV nurses are by your side promoting health through caring.” said WVNA President Aila Accad, MSN, RN, Award-Winning International Speaker and Best-Selling Author.
Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. WVNA will celebrate on May 9th at Appalachian Power Park with a baseball game watching the West Virginia Power as they take on the Savanna Sand Gnats. There will be fireworks sponsored by V100.
The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) president said RNs show leadership in a variety of ways. “All nurses are leaders, whether they are in direct patient care, administrative roles, or meeting consumers’ needs in new roles such as care coordinators or wellness coaches,” said ANA President Karen A. Daley, PhD, RN, FAAN. “This week, we acknowledge nurses’ vast contributions and how they are leading the way in improving health care and ultimately, the health of the nation.”
At 3.1 million professionals, nurses comprise the largest health care workforce. Nursing is projected to grow faster than all other occupations. The federal government projects more than one million new RNs will be needed by 2022 to fill new jobs and replace RNs who retire. Millions of individuals are gaining better access to health care under the health reform law, and Baby Boomers are flooding into Medicare.
The public holds nurses in high regard and trusts them to advocate for patients.   For the past 12 years, the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethics in an annual Gallup survey.  Nurses also are leading advocates for safer and healthier health care work environments for workers and patients, both in policy arenas like Congress and state legislatures, and within workplaces. They are promoting safe patient handling and mobility, safe use of sharp devices, optimal nurse staffing levels, violence prevention, elimination of toxic chemicals and other measures.
