Estes Park Health honors nurses during National Nurses Week
About 80 nurses work at Estes Park Health, filling roles in every department from the surgical suite and emergency department to the medical/surgical unit and urgent care.
Nurses serve at the core of the work at the hospital and see patients at every stage of the care continuum. These men and women work in a variety of positions, including certified nursing assistant, license practical nurse, registered nurse and nurse practitioner, each with their own level of education and experience for the level of care they provide.
Some nurses are generalists, but many specialize in specific areas of care, such as surgery, oncology, pediatrics, public health or emergency.
Gift bags are ready as part of the National Nurses Week celebration to honor the nurses at Estes Park Health.
This week – from May 6 to 12 – Estes Park Health recognizes all levels of nursing care within our facilities as we celebrate this historic event.
“Estes Park Health couldn’t operate without the dedicated nursing staff,” said Pat Samples, Chief Nursing Officer for EPH. “They work tirelessly night and day to make sure patients are comfortable while providing quality care to manage physical needs, prevent illness and treat health conditions.”
In 1953, the first effort to establish a Nurse’s Day took place when Dorothy Sutherland, an employee at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed a Nurse’s Day to President Eisenhower. He never signed the proclamation.
The following year, a National Nurse Week was observed to mark the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to fight for nursing and medical care reforms for British soldiers during the Crimean War.
Attempts were made for the next two decades to establish a National Nurse’s Day; none ever passed through the U.S. legislation.
Then, in 1974, the International Council of Nurses declared May 12 as International Nurses Day, a date selected because it was Nightingale’s birthday. President Richard Nixon also proclaimed a National Nurse Week that year.
Individual organizations and states continued to promote their own recognition of nurses, including the American Nurses Association (ANA), which declared May 6 as National Nurses Day.
Haleigh Shreffler, RN, and Cody Morrow, RN, are two of the nursing team members in the emergency department at Estes Park Health.
In 1990, the ANA extended the celebration to a week between May 6 and May 12. The week became official in 1994.
This year, the theme for the event is “The Power of Nursing” to recognize the integral part nurses have in the health care workforce, providing care for patients through every stage of life.
“We are honored to have such an incredible nursing staff at EPH,” said Samples. “While this week is an important recognition for our nurses, their positive influence on patient outcomes happens day in and day out throughout the year.”
Thank a nurse this week, because at some point in everyone’s life, a nurse will have an impact on the health of you or a loved one.