Ettiena Britt | Class of 2020 | Nursing Student

Below is a letter from Associate Professor of Nursing and Nursing Department Chair Deborah Greenawald, Ph.D., RN, CNE to all Alvernia nursing students to begin National Nurses Week.

 

Greetings Alvernia Nursing Student!

 

Today is National NURSES DAY and the beginning of a week honoring NURSES around the United States. This spring, however, we all know that there is no one day or week to celebrate and honor nurses, as these essential healthcare professionals are being recognized continuously for the selfless and exceptional care they are bringing to individuals and communities dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to fulfilling all of the other essential roles of Registered Nurses. In addition, the World Health Organization had dedicated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Nurse Midwife, in recognition of the critical role of nursing professionals around the world and in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. Nightingale was a visionary nurse who revealed, by her example, the powerful leadership nurses can and should assume in not just clinical practice, but also related to health advocacy, education, management and research.

 

On behalf of the Nursing Faculty and Staff at Alvernia University, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish YOU a Happy Nurses Week. Whether you are a graduate nurse and already hold a professional license or a pre-licensure undergraduate, you are a part of something far greater than any one individual. NURSES represent the largest group of healthcare professionals in the country, and our voices need to be heard at every level of government and throughout the healthcare environment. Firmly grounded in evidence-based practices, high clinical standards and a Code of Ethics, Nurses continue to be the most trusted healthcare professional on the interdisciplinary team, and are often the “one who made a difference” in the experience of a person receiving care in acute or community-based settings.

 

THANK YOU for the work you are doing and/or the career you are pursuing! We are all connected through a proud tradition of the healing arts at Alvernia University, and together we remain NURSING STRONG. I wish you all well in your upcoming exams and trust that you will have a safe, healthy, and productive summer. Whenever we are permitted to return to our campus, please know that I will be ready to greet you and say WELCOME BACK from my home-away-from-home in the Nursing Resource Center.

 

Deborah A. Greenawald, PhD, RN, CNE

Associate Professor & Nursing Department Chair

Alvernia University

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