Pediatrics in Brevard: Did you know nursing is the most trusted profession? It's a good thing
Every year nurses are celebrated in May.
This is a week when nurses are recognized for their dedication to patient care and our medical system.
The theme for this year's annual celebration of nurses is "Nurses Make the Difference."
This week is a time dedicated to honoring an incredible profession and the people who dedicate their lives to improving health outcomes, promoting well-being and providing care and compassion in the healthcare setting and beyond.
Nurses are often called the heartbeat of healthcare.
This is due to them often being the first point of contact for those seeking healthcare services, performing the most essential healthcare tasks, their boundless contributions to patient care.
Nurses also compromise over half of the global healthcare team.
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National Nurses Week always starts May 6 and ends on Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12. Florence is known as the founder of modern nursing. She was born in 1820 to a prominent British family. She was a nurse, social reformer and gifted statistician.
Florence cared for injured British soldiers during the Crimean War and used her mathemetics background to gather data on the outcomes of injured soldiers. She found that 10 times as many soldiers were dying from infectious diseases than battle wounds.
She introduced the concepts of sanitation, hand washing, ventilation and proper nutrition. Her actions were responsible for dropping the death rate from 42% to 2%.
She also played a large role in changing how nurses were educated and perceived by society. She elevated the nursing profession from an undesirable career choice to a highly-favorable and respected profession. She opened the first science based nursing school in 1860 in London.
The nursing profession is considered one of the most trustworthy in this country. Nursing has been voted the No. 1 most ethical and trustworthy profession for the past 22 consecutive years. They beat out judges, doctors, teachers, firefighters, childcare providers and religious leaders for the top spot.
Nursing is a large profession and continues to grow. It is actually the largest healthcare profession in the nation.
There are currently more than five million Registered Nurses in the United States. There are more than four times as many nurses as there are doctors in this country.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses make an average salary of $81,220. This makes nursing the highest paying field of all the largest professions in this country.
Nursing is also a rapidly growing field. The government predicts that there will be almost a quarter of a million new nursing jobs available each year.
Nursing is also a versatile field.
Nurses not only care for the sick and injured, but also support families and communities, assist in surgeries, provide case management and develop quality assurance.
In fact, 40% of nurses work outside of the hospital. They can work in doctors offices, schools, home health care, outpatient surgery centers, hospice care, military, health departments, insurance companies, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, teaching, research, literature development, legislature and law offices.
Nurses are highly skilled professionals. They have specialized education and training.
Registered Nurses must obtain an associate's or bachelor's degree in order to test for their license.
All nurses in this country must pass a standardized national exam that makes certain basic competencies are met.
They are required to keep their license up to date by completing regular continuing education throughout their career.
This ensures that nurses stay up to date on practice standards. Nurses must also abide by a code of ethics.
About 75% of Registered Nurses have a bachelor's degree or higher. Some nurses continue their academic education and obtain a master or doctorate degree.
Nurses are the pivotal connection between patients and doctors. They are strong advocates for their patients, ensuring that they are receiving high quality and timely healthcare services.
Recognizing and demonstrating an appreciation for the commitment and compassion that nurses exhibit every day is paramount to celebrating nurses week. Make sure to thank a nurse this week who has made a positive impact on you or your loved ones.
Lea Dickens attended the University of Florida, Gainesville, graduating Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008, and her Master’s in 2009. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and has been with Pediatrics in Brevard since 2013 based in the Melbourne office.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: National Nurses Week 2024 begins May 6. Be sure to thank a nurse
