Rebecca M. Patton, ANA President sends the following message – “Nurses: Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow” exemplifies nurses’ caring and professionalism. Every day, nurses make a commitment to building an even more powerful nursing profession to address the complexities of patient care, reshape the work environment, and influence broader health policies to benefit patients and the public. Today’s nurses must have the strength to care for patients during times of disaster and crisis; the commitment to remain involved in continuing education throughout their careers; and the compassion to provide hands-on patient care at the bedside”.

Here are some National Nurses Week Facts:

         There are nearly 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States. And, 2.4 million of them are actively employed.

         According to projections released in February 2004 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs top the list of the 10 occupations with the largest projected job growth in the years 2002-2012.

         The nation's nurses rank first for their honesty and integrity, with 82 percent of Americans rating them "high" or "very high," according to a 2005 Gallup Poll.

The Orthopaedic Institute thanks our nurses and all nurses for providing, quality, dedicated care. We appreciate you hard work today, this week, and always!

For more information, please visit: http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/MediaResources/NationalNursesWeek.aspx