Happy Nursing Week 2020
May 12, 2020
Dr. Sandra Carroll
Photo above: Dr. Sandra Carroll
I would like to wish all of my nursing colleagues a Happy Nurses Week. This message extends to our School of Nursing faculty, our clinical, community and research partners, our donors, our alumni, and our new graduating students who will soon join us in this exciting and rewarding field. I would also like to send greetings on behalf of our school to our nursing colleagues worldwide. We see you and appreciate you all.
This year more than ever, it’s important to celebrate and support our chosen profession.
Why? 2020 is special. It’s the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who continues to inspire nurses around the world. Even more important is the fact that 2020 is the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, officially designated as such by the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize the contributions that nurses make. I invite you, if you have not already done so, to read the “State of the World’s Nursing Report – 2020” by WHO. It calls for an investment in nursing education, jobs, and leadership.
This year, Nursing Week 2020 is starkly different from previous years for another reason.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an awakening. It brought global attention to the value of the profession of nursing, our critical importance to healthcare delivery and society, and the sacrifices nurses are making in fighting this pandemic. The vital need for excellence in nursing and a strong health care infrastructure to support all healthcare professionals and staff has never been so evident. We know our decision-makers have learned from the COVID-19 experience, and put into place the measures we need to protect our health in the future. I am proud of all individuals who are making a difference delivering care to patients or working to accelerate research that will develop treatments to prevent future illness.
Like many of you, I am disappointed that I cannot celebrate nursing week with colleagues in person this year. The professional and personal gatherings – the lectures, lunches and afternoon teas – will have to wait until it is safe for us to come together again. In the meantime, I sincerely wish you all a safe journey to the other shore of this crisis.
Treasure one another, treasure yourselves, and take care.
Sandra Carroll
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