Happy National Nurses Week

• 5/7/2010
• Author: Jim Parker
• Category: Perspectives on Patient Safety Blog
• 10966 Views
• 0 Comments
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This week is National Nurses Week! You are likely to see many signs, posters, and banners urging you to “Hug a Nurse Today.”  (While I certainly do not oppose this course of action, I would encourage readers to ask permission before pursuing it.) 

This is not only a good time to show gratitude for the incredible work nurses do, but a good time to consider their roles in the health care team and how those teams should operate. 

Do not form a team in name only. The care team must be a truly collaborative effort, in which all members are treated as equals, including physicians, nurses, other providers, the patient, and the patient’s family (as defined by the patient, not the organization). Every person on the team should have an equal voice and should be regarded with equal respect.

Of all the health care providers on the care team, the nurses have likely spent the most time with the patient and have developed a stronger rapport with patients and families. This makes their insights and perceptions crucial to the patient’s care. Their voices should not be drowned out by other staff who hold a traditionally “higher” organizational rank.

JCR has created a page on its Web site for National Nurse’s Week. Feel free to check it out.

Thank you nurses, for your commitment to caring for the nation’s sick and suffering, and for doing your part to improve patient safety!