CELEBRATE!

This year's theme is "Nurses: United in Adversities".
Some highlights of nurses' week activities:
Proclamation Signing at the Governor R. J. Bordallo Complex, Adelup
Nursing Conferences
Guesting at Talk Show K 57
Nurses' Mass at the St. Anthony Church, Tamuning
Health Screening and Smoking Cessation Fair
Nurses' Banquet/Awards and Recognition presentation

The nurses at the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association in Norwell, MA are celebrating Nurses Week with a message: We care and we care for one another.

A former patient hosted a breakfast for the nurses on Monday. Tuesday the nursing staff celebrated the Nursing Students of U Mass Boston, at a luncheon, which featured a speaker, preceptor awards and a community project about Melanoma, including a fashion show of sun resistent summer wear, modeled by both male and female students. The caring part comes in, because we enjoyed each other, celebrated each other's successes and most of all, produced an ad campaign in the local papers about what nursing is all about.

I am delighted to announce that on May 6th 2002 Senator Hillary Clinton greeted a full auditorium of Bronx VAMC staff and guests to celebrate National Nurses Week and the Bronx VAMC Nurses Awards Program. As you know, Senator Clinton is well known for her advocacy in support of health care and of nursing. In her remarks she spoke about the importance of supporting nurses for the work that they do in the hospital environment. To that aim she cited several associated legislative initiatives that she has been actively involved in.

The ceremony concluded with a tour of the Spinal Cord Injury Unit, a look at the Bar Code Medication Administration System (designed to reduce medication errors) and a listen to the multimillion dollar grant to look at medical outcomes as a result of Spinal Cord Injury.

We at Bronx VAMC were most impressed with time she took to greet the veterans and the patience she had posing for pictures with our nursing and healthcare staff.

To celebrate Nurse Week, the physician and PA staff at the University of Georgia's Student Health Center gave a luncheon for the Nursing Staff. Invitations were issued, and we were greeted at the door and escorted to our tables by doctors dressed as wait staff. The room was beautifully decorated, and the physicians hovered attentively, bringing drink refills, removing plates, and serving dessert.

Throughout the luncheon, names were pulled from the invitations we had been given, and gifts such as a plastic truck with a $20 certificate for a car wash, and certificates to local restaurants were given. We all had a great time, including our docs!

Respect Nurses Walk, sponsored by the LSNA was held May 4, 2002 in Baton Rouge. Over 75 nurses and friends of Nursing supported the profession by walking a route through downtown Baton Rouge.

The Lafayette District Nurses Association sponsored Acadiana Celebrates Nursing 2002 May 4, 2002 recognizing the 26 registered nurses for excellence in education, practice, administration and research.

The New Orleans District Nurses Association celebrated National Nurses Week May 7, 2002 with a crawfish boil honoring all professional nurses. The Stryker Corporation provided food and continuing education credits. Student nurses were invited.

The Baton Rouge District Nurses Association sponsored the 11th Annual Celebrate Nursing May 8, 2002 . Eighteen registered nurses were recognized for excellence in practice, education, administration and research. The Edith LoBue Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Prentiss Massey. Dr. Joe Ann Clark was awarded the Helen Johnson Creemens Excellence in Teaching Award.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge celebrated National Nurse Week by having a daily event honoring nurses. Monday was Find a Heart contest, Tuesday was breakfast for the night shift, Wednesday was Meals on Wheels with hot dogs and ice cream delivered to each nurse, Thursday was recognition of the Nursing Excellence winners: Michele Ashy, Mary Goudeau, Annette Daughdrill, Shawn Simmons, Celeste Chauvin and Beverly Myrick, and Friday was unit parties and continuing education programs. Each nurse was presented with a gift from Patient Care Services

The New Mexico Chapter of the March of Dimes and The Nurse of the Year Executive Committee are inviting nurses from throughout New Mexico to participate in the first annual Nurse of the Year recognition and appreciation event. This gala will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at the Sheraton Old Town, honoring nurses with a banquet and awards presentation. Patients, friends, co-workers and other health professionals nominate nurses in 18 categories including "Distinguished Nurse of the Year". A call for nominations will occur the week of May 5-10 during Hospital & Nurses week. for more information please contact our Chapter Office 505.255.6755.

RISNA is having a nursing expo in the rotunda of the beautiful Rhode Island state house on Thursday where dignataries will speak and student nurse essay winners announced. That evening we will have a cocktail party at a local restaurant.

At Methodist Hospital, NLC, in Gary, Indiana, we have a competition each year for National Nurse's Week. Each unit is encouraged to decorate following the theme designated by ANA. This year our unit is using drawings, pictures and patriotic themes to honor the nurses who have served and/or perished in the wars to protect America's freedom and ideals.

The faculty at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge New York hosted a pizza party for our students yesterday 5/6/02. We distributed a poem titled "Thoughts on Nursing", and presented certificates to a group of students who participated in the American Lung Associations' "Open Airways for Shools" (OAS) program. Our Candlelight Ceremony will be on May 11th where 22 graduating students will receive their nursing pins.

At Summit Ridge Center - Genesis ElderCare in West Orange, New Jersey we distributed ANA National Nurses Week (NNW) buttons to all nurses today (Monday). Our pharmacy vendor (NeighborCare) provided Philadelphia-style soft pretzels to all staff. On Tuesday, one of our ambulance providers will be providing a catered Spanish meal for nurses on all shifts. On Thursday, we will be distributing ANA NNW tote bags and facility-logo diagnostic penlights to all nurses as well as having sub sandwiches. We also have a NNW display and posters throughout the Center.

This is how Gateway Health System, Clarksville, TN is celebrating nurses week. Today, we had a pizza party on all of the nursing units. Tuesday we will be giving away door prizes. Wednesday, we will be having a Bagel Breakfast for all the nursing staff and the pharmacy department is having a drug fair in honor of nurses week. Thursday, we are having a grand celebration at an off site location. At this time, we will be recognizing our outstanding nurses with awards of Nursing Excellence. We will wind things down on Friday. Our nursing staff could not perform there jobs without the support of all the department in our hospital, so we are inviting the entire hospital to celebrate with us at an Ice Cream Social.

Hello from SHANDS Jacksonville
We celebrate National Nurse Week all week this morning started with a complimentary Kick-off breakfast. We were joined by the local news team covering a Hot air Balloon launch. SHANDS Jacksonville Nurses "Above and Beyond the Rest" featured the "Senior Nurses" those Nurses with 20 plus years of service in the SHANDS organization.

One fun activity we have planned is: a page of cartoons of nurses in various aspects of nursing is posted and nurses are asked to sign their name on or around the cartoon that best depicts them. This will be framed afterwards.

In celebration of National Nurses Week, the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) has planned several media events to recognize the dedication and courage of registered nurse in our community.

For those of you in the Seattle area, look for buses running through downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, First Hill and near the University of Washington Medical Center with seven-foot signs across the sides saluting nurses.

This year at Warminster Hospital, Bucks County Pa we are starting off our Nurses week with a Memorial Dedication Candlelight Service to honor two of our co workers that died this year of Cancer. This will be on Monday night, then on Wednesday night the Medical Staff sponsors a Dinner at an local facility and this year we are having a motivational speaker. To wrap up the week we are having the Caring Hearts Spa. a 12 hr session of massages, parrifin dips and treats, with little take home gifts.The activities are planned by the Retention Committee.

At West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero, Louisiana, a week long celebration of festivities to honor our nurses is planned. Events include our President and CEO 'shadowing' a nurse, a reception in our Atrium with food, music and instant professional photos that begins with our Medical Staff unveiling two nursing scholarship programs they are beginning for nurses, the opening of our new oncology nursing unit and its dedication, a breakfast to celebrate our hospital raising more than $50,000 for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, a butterfly release of 200 butterflies on our front lawn, the placement of a time capsule to be opened in a decade, and a recommitment ceremony to our patients during a luncheon open house reception. During the reception, the entire hospital team is invited to stop in the open house in our auditorium and join our nurses and sign 100 feet of ribbon to recommit ourselves to the comfort always of our patients and one another. Slides will flash on our giant screen to upbeat music to celebrate the lives of our patients and each other. Our theme for the recommitment ceremony is "From beginning to beginning...". Our hospital Auxiliary of volunteers will also host a luncheon for our nurses during nursing week and we will also have opportunities for our nurses to obtain continuing education credits during the week. During the week, the nurse recruiter and nursing administration will make sundaes, serve nachos and present tokes of appreciation. The dedication of our new oncology nursing unit will feature our nursing clinical coordinator, herself a cancer survivor, reading a special prayer for our patients and caregivers. Nurses will also take part in a health fair just for them and then on another day help host cancer screenings open to the community.

Fumni Borisade, Senior Community Health Nurse Administrator at the Duval County Health Department located in Jacksonville, Florida will be hosting a get together and Educational Forum on May 8, 2002 in honor of all nurses in the agency. Many thanks to Fumni for planning such a great affair. There are 108 nurses currently employed with this Community Health Department.

Community Involvement Programs, Minneapolis, MN - Celebrating with Healthy Food We invited past, present and collaborating nurses to join us for a celebration and lunch on May 7th. Holyland Deli a local restaurant is catering with lots of yummy and healthy food. We also ordered a beautiful Tres Leches cake from a neighborhood Mexican Bakery.

For the 15th year, our hospital is coordinating a Nurse's Day Celebration in conjunction with the area Long-Term Care facilities and schools of nursing. We have a dinner with entertainment provided by local physicians, a speaker, doorprizes and a grand prize of a free trip that is donated by our physicians. Over 200 nurses generally attend and the event has grown to be one that is anticipated and awaited by all. It has provided a great avenue for nurses from all areas of practice to network, socailize and enjoy!

I am a nurse/massage therapist and I was asked by my supervisor in the Women and Children's Department where I work to give massages to all the nurses in that department at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. We are located in the Kansas City metro area. Another nurse/massage therapist will give the night nurses massages, also, on the same days: May 6, 7 and 8. That will make a total of 8 hours of massage each day. Our hospital is the busiest maternity center in Kansas City averaging 300 births per month.

During Nurses Week, we have a full week of activities including Poster contest for best poster that demonstrates role of nurse and our organizations values, Nursing excellence awards for outstanding clinicians, educators, new grads, mentors and innovative/creative nurses. All day education program is being sponsored by our medical staff for our nurses. And finally, we cook omelets for our night staff (RNs and all other employees).

We at Georgian Heights in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada are planning a whole week of celebrations to honour our nurses. The week will start off with a bang. The nurses will have a music group playing music that reflects on the hard work they do for us. Then the next day we will be serving the nurses all day with cake, donuts and all the punch they can drink. The Residents that live here will be presenting them with a banner that has all their signatures on it. On the Wed. the nurses will be dressed up in their finest, wearing their white hats and bringing in their graduation pictures for all the other staff to guess who is who. The winner will receive a beautiful gift from a flower shop. To end the week the nurses will be all given a flower to show just how much we do appreciate them and all the hard work they do.

To all the nurses at Georgian Height we salute you.

Connie Jackson
Program Manager
Georgian Heights

Texas Nurses Association District 6, Galveston, TX - NNW, Cookout, Blood Drive, Yoga

Dana Bjarnason
President
Texas Nurses Association District 6 in Galveston

Delaware Tech & Community College - NNW Survival Kit: BandAid, Lifesavers, Hugs & Kisses

Michelle Lampkin, RN
DTCC SNA

Florida Metropolitan University - NNW, Gathering Caps and Pins

Sueanne Cantamessa MAOM,RN,CNOR
Surgical Technology Coordinator
Florida Metropolitan University

Hudson River Psychiatric Center, Poughkeepsie, New York - NNW, Breakfast, Speakers, Corsages

Deborah M. Williams, R.N.C

NJ Jersey State Nurses Association Celebrates NNW with Writing and Publishing

PA State Nurses Association Celebrates Nurses Week with State Flair

Lori Anne Artz
Director, Communications Program
PA State Nurses Association

Saint Eugene Medical Center, Dillon, South Carolina - NNW, Videos, Popcorn, Candlelight Service