National Nurses Week - May 6 - 12

[boardman]

National Nurses Week
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 09:32:25 -0400
From: "Rick Weidman" rweidman@vva.org

It’s National Nurses Week (May 6-12); a big week for nurses and a big week for VA. This year’s theme, “Nursing: A Profession and a Passion,” reflects the profession’s duality as both an art and a science­a calling that requires clinical expertise, technical skill, and compassion.

Today's VA nurses are devoted care givers as well as responsible professionals. During National Nurses Week, we honor the men and women who touch the lives of veterans every day -- VA nurses. VA has one of the largest nurse work forces of any health care system in the world. Numbering more than 61,000 nationwide, the VA nursing team -- composed of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses, and nursing assistants ­ provides comprehensive, complex, and compassionate care to the nation’s veterans. They help veterans regain and maintain their health, and they teach them to live fully with their disabilities.

VA nurses are central to many of VA’s seamless transition efforts for servicemembers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. VA nurses work as case managers coordinating entry into the VA system, rehabilitation specialists helping patients return to active duty or to daily life, and as inpatient clinicians managing complex acute care patient situations. They are the backbone of VA health care.