Dear Colleagues:

As I have reflected upon the tragic events of September 11, I am filled with many thoughts and emotions. I have feelings of great sadness about the loss our nation has sustained in lost lives and a lost sense of security. I also have feelings of great pride about how our constituent member associations and nurses across the country responded to the tragedy.

Many thanks goes to our CMAs and our nation’s nurses for responding in great numbers to the call for emergency assistance. The spirit of caring expressed by RNs across the nation was a reflection of what drives the profession B a true sense of commitment, dedication and desire to help others.

In areas directly impacted by the tragedy, nurses hurried to hospitals and emergency rooms providing direct care and offering counseling to the injured and the bereaved. Others volunteered with the American Red Cross and at blood drives across the country. CMAs assisted with recruitment efforts through utilization of their listserves and Web sites, and ANA/ANF designated a special fund to provide relief to nurses who have been directly impacted by the tragedy. No task was too small in nurses’ united effort to show and give support.

As the nation braces for possible future attacks, I know that our CMAs and nurses throughout the country are ready and willing to respond. Nurses are the backbone of the health care system and we are vital in ensuring hospitals and communities are prepared to handle emergency and disaster relief efforts. Our sense of security as a nation may be shaken, but our confidence in nurses’ ability to rise to the occasion, pooling energies and resources, is renewed. I’m proud to be an American, I’m proud to be a nurse and I’m proud to represent such a wonderful profession. United, we stand!