Whose your favorite nurse? We’ve all got one. Because nurses are with us at so many important points in our lives. They help us welcome new life and comfort us as we say good bye to loved ones. Nurses are present in medical emergencies and medical ordinaries. No other medical professional is so ingrained in our lives, or has such an impact on our health and mortality. So it is entirely appropriate that as a nation we set aside one week to celebrate the profession. We start today, with the celebration of Nurses Day. Nurses Week culminates, appropriately, on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale.

So what do you give your favorite nurse on his or her special day. Flowers? Candy? A fine bottle of wine? As a nation of people who collectively owe so much to nurses, we need to go beyond mere gestures and give nurses tools that can really make a difference in their lives.

Training

Science and technology move at the speed of light, especially in the nursing profession. Without the opportunity for continuing education, it is impossible for nurses to keep up. Mentoring for new graduates is an important element of nurse training. Hospitals and nurses’ associations across the country have created programs where new nurses meet regularly with their mentees for up to two years. This programs help new nurses make the transition between classroom and the hospital floor. Studies have shown mentoring and continuing education programs not only help hospitals and clinics retain nurses, it helps keep nurses in the profession. Read more…