National Nurses Month 2021

Happy National Nurses Month 

2020 was the year of the nurse and one in which nurses arose to overcome

the many challenges they were faced with. Nursing is a lifestyle and not just a career,

a lifestyle of dedicating your life to the care of others.

Thank you for everything you do to care for those around you.

You Make a Difference. 

 

- Christina Taylor, MSN RN SCRN
VP of Nursing, Sotera Wireless

You Make a Difference is the theme of this year's Nurse's Month. 

You can download a free American Nurses Association Nurse's Month 2021 Toolkit with all sorts of resources to celebrate and participate this month. Here's a brief summary with some great links.

Week 1: Self Care

MAY 1–7 Focus on the emotional and physical wellbeing of yourself and others by engaging in healthy activities that focus on both your body and mind.

• Participate in online seminars with experts speaking on key topics affecting the nursing community, such as mental health awareness, managing stress, implementing self-care habits into your daily routine, and safety in the workplace.
• Watch for Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ communications and micro-challenges that aim to help you improve your health and well-being now and into the future. Follow this link for more details.
• Do a self-care assessment on yourself. What activities are you doing to benefit your health and reduce your stress? How do you care for your emotional well-being? Once you’ve defined these areas, plan a course of action or join the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge, an initiative to help you improve health in five areas: physical activity, nutrition, rest, quality of life, and safety.

Week 2: Recognition

MAY 8-14 Raise visibility of the critical work nurses do and foster a greater understanding of the diversity of the nursing profession by honoring exemplary nurses and engaging with your community.

• Recognize one or more nurses who excel, lead, and innovate through their exemplary courage, community service, advocacy, research and innovation, and years of commitment to the profession.
• Request a proclamation from your mayor/governor declaring May 6 as National RN Recognition Day and/or May as Nurses Month. (A sample proclamation is available in this toolkit.)
• Take the opportunity to educate state legislators about the role and value of registered nurses in the health care system. Write a letter or share a video from nurses.
• Place an article or opinion piece in your state or local newspaper(s), or in a community blog, about Nurses Month and the contributions of nurses.
• Host a video news conference or informal virtual media roundtable and discuss nurses’ responses to major events and other important health care issues in your community.
• Honor a registered nurse for a heroic act or bestow an “honorary nurse” title on a deserving elected official or civic leader.

Week 3: Profesional Development

MAY 15-21 Focus on how you can excel and lead in your nursing career or inspire and help others in their professional nursing journey.

• Commit to participating in professional webinars.
• Look for webinars on current topics and those that will expand your skills like communication, listening, empathy, teamwork, problem-solving, and flexibility.
• Sign up for ANA’s free webinar, “Redefining Nursing—Reaffirming Our Practice,” based on the 4th Edition of Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. It premieres on May 19 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. 
• Volunteer as a professional mentor in your organization or nursing college.
• Look for creative ways to share your nursing experiences, such as through videos or social media, and motivate the next generation of nurses.
• Identify nurses from other specialties, nurse educators, nurse innovators, or a nurse leader in your community to share their professional development stories and advice.

Week 4: Community Engagement 

MAY 22-29 Help promote nurses’ invaluable contributions by engaging with your community and educating them on what nurses do.

• Emphasize the importance of registered nurses in the nation’s health care system, pay tribute to a local nurse, or recognize all nurses who provide care every day, year-round.
• Partner with other nursing and health care organizations in your area to sponsor a joint Nurses Month event for 2021, like a virtual fundraiser for local community organizations, a blood drive, or online workshops aimed at reducing stress and building resilience.
• Organize a candlelight vigil, if permitted, to honor the dedication and commitment of the nation’s registered nurses and those nurses who have fallen due to the COVID-19 virus.
• Discuss current and ongoing health care issues with elected officials at the local, state, or federal level.
• Elected officials should be visible and accountable for their positions in health care. This also offers good media coverage potential.

Download the Toolkit