Nurses Make the Difference!

From the San Diego Convention Center to a medical center in Maine – and dozens of spots in between – buildings and other landmarks are illuminated to in support of nurses nationwide.

It’s all part of National Nurses Week, which is technically from May 6-12, but is really a monthlong event to recognize the vital work performed by more than 5 million registered nurses in healthcare settings each day. The theme for the 2024 celebration is “Nurses Make the Difference.”

“This year we’re illuminating the spirit of nursing by lighting up landmarks across the country in honor of National Nurses Week,” says the American Nurses Association (ANA). “Our Nurses Light Up the Sky campaign is designed to rally citizens across the country in support of nurses.”

The ANA hopes people will snap a photo of a participating building in their city and post it on social media with the hashtag #NursesLightUp the sky to raise awareness of the week and the work nurses do all year long.

There are at least 57 landmarks in 21 states and Guam taking part in the event, including the Wrigley Building in Chicago, Camden Yards on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and Houston City Hall.

ANA has a free free downloadable toolkit that includes content for use in social media posts and printable posters, thank-you cards and certificates of appreciation. The group will also match any monetary donation made in May to help fund programs that support nurses.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) is also celebrating the work of amazing nurses with multiple initiatives this month, including discounts on membership and practice guidelines. The group also offers self-care resources to help alleviate burnout and a research hub that can aid nurses’ professional development.

AORN offers helpful hints for making social media posts successful that include: keeping them short and always including a photo; celebrating OR wins that promote teamwork among members; sharing inspiring quotes about the profession while tagging @AORN and using the hashtag #PeriopProud; and tagging mentors or mentees in posts that highlight their strengths.

ANA says recognition of nurses has come a long way since 1953, when a proposal from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare’s Dorothy Sutherland to President Dwight Eisenhower to proclaim a Nurse Day was ignored. Today, the monthlong celebration “honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting” and includes everything from proclamations from state and local governments to discounts from national restaurants. OSM