Elevating and Celebrating Nurses: You Make A DifferenceWhen the American Nurses Association and Colorado Nurses Association planned activities and resources for the Year of the Nurse, including expanding Nurses Week to a month-long tribute, little did we know we would be in the grip of a global pandemic. Now more than ever, we need to support and recognize nurses for their contributions in crises and for their ongoing roles in meeting the needs of patients and their communities. In these challenging times, we encourage you to promote nurses’ health and well-being and to honor them in every way you can. While continued social distancing may limit our face-to-face activities, think of creative ways to engage and participate in virtual ways. Nurses Month provides an opportunity to promote the value of nursing, advocate for the profession, conduct media outreach, and host a (virtual) event. Connect your activities to the official Nurses Month tagline — You Make a Difference — recognizing nurses’ unparalleled impact on health and health care. Week One - MAY 1–9 Focus on the emotional and physical well- being 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 NationTM 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 NationTM Grand Challenge, an initiative to help you improve health in five areas: physical activity, nutrition, rest, quality of life, and safety. |