National Nurses Day

We just want to take a minute to remind everyone that today, May 6th is National Nurses Day! It kicks off National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12th (International Nurses Day and Florence Nightingale's Birthday!) We have all been cared for at one time or another by one of these superheroes in scrubs - I remember when I had my first baby, my nurse literally saved my life and made the call to start a blood transfusion at a critical moment in my recovery! It was her experience and quick decision making that made all the difference in my care that day and I won't soon forget!

On this National Nurses Day, I wanted to encourage you to give the nurses in your life an extra hug (or fist bump) and remind them how awesome they are and how important they are to our quality of healthcare and wellbeing. Nurses are usually the people who hold everything together in our doctor's offices and hospitals - they usually go above and beyond on a daily basis to provide compassionate and intuitive care for their patients - and they make personal sacrifices for their work, which usually feels more like a calling for them.

Here are 5 fun facts about nursing that you may not know:

1. Nursing is considered the most honest and ethical job in the country - even beating out religious leaders!

2. Nurses walk an average of 4-5 miles each shift!

3. Nursing is one of the most satisfying careers you can have - most surveys report 98% job satisfaction among nurses!

4. Nurses are the main advocates for patient care - they spend the most time with the patient and their opinion carries weight when making decisions about the patient's care.

5. Nurses can often work in hazardous conditions - they are on the front lines in medical care and often are the first ones to come in contact with highly contagious patients or combative patients. It's sometimes a dirty job - but someone has to do it!

As amazing as nurses are, even they have their own limits in such stressful working conditions. Often they rely on each other for support - one nurse might not be able to deal with one situation but be able to handle another one that is too much for a colleague. Nurses are, after all, human beings and their job is directly confronting one of the most challenging parts of being human - our own physical vulnerabilities and pain. Even so, there are times of triumph and success in the nursing profession that are life giving to nurses and provide much career satisfaction. Truly, it can be a job of extremes!

If you have a moment today, remember our nurses in prayer:

Dear God, You know each person’s needs and you give us strength each day. Please be with our nurses today and bless them with the grace and strength that they need to care for others and bring healing into people’s lives. You are the source of life and healing so we ask for your help. Amen.