Wednesday, May 6 • Recognizing the important role nurses play in our lives
History of National Nurses Day¹
National Nurses Day is the first day of National Nursing Week, which concludes on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Yet the week was first observed in the U.S. in October 1954 to mark the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s pioneering work in Crimea.
In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower asking him to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year to coincide with the anniversary. Although the President didn’t act, the celebration was observed thanks to a bill sponsored by Representative Frances P. Bolton, and the following year a new bill was introduced to Congress lobbying for official recognition of the celebration.
Twenty years later, in February of 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a National Nurse Week to be celebrated annually in May. Over the next eight years, various nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA) rallied to support calls for a “National Recognition Day for Nurses” on May 6, which was eventually proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982.
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Nursing at Inver Hills
In collaboration with community colleges and universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Inver Hills helped develop the innovative Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education (MANE) curriculum. As a transformative approach to nursing education, MANE encourages a deep understanding of key nursing concepts while addressing the changing health care environment.
The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) prepares you for a career in professional nursing. Admission to the Nursing program is limited and competitive; a separate application is required. Many students enroll at Inver Hills and complete prerequisite courses before applying to the Nursing program. Advanced standing is offered to qualified licensed practical nurses (LPNs) interested in the MANE nursing program.
MANE
The mission of the Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education (MANE) program is to increase baccalaureate prepared nurses in Minnesota through transformative educational strategies
To prepare professional nurses to promote health and meet the evolving and complex health care needs of our communities.
The goal of MANE is to make baccalaureate nursing education available to students across the state, allowing qualified students to graduate with a baccalaureate degree within four years on every partner campus.
The Inver Hills MANE Nursing program admissions process admits you to both the Metropolitan State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Inver Hills Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) programs.
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20 Ways to Support Nurses & Healthcare Workers on the Front Lines of COVID-19
by Chaunie Brusie • nurse.org
Nurses and other healthcare professionals need your help now more than ever.
If you’re at home reading this and your biggest worry is perhaps running out snacks or ahem, toilet paper, you’re definitely among some of the lucky ones in the country right now. Nurses everywhere are heading directly into the places that everyone else is trying to avoid — hospitals, urgent care facilities, and medical offices teeming with people who need care related to COVID-19.
Nursing students, too, especially those on the verge of graduation this spring, have had their lives completely upheaved. Some are turning to learn critical skills via virtual labs, some are praying they will still be able to graduate, and some are facing fears they may have been exposed to COVID-19 while in their clinical rotations.
With public health experts saying that the impacts of the virus are nowhere near slowing down yet, it’s more important than ever to support healthcare workers working on the front lines of COVID-19. Here are some ways that you can #SupportHealthcareHeroes and make a difference in the battle against COVID-19.
- Tell congress to increase protective equipment for nurses, now. According to the American Nurses Association, nurses are being forced to take such drastic measures as reusing masks or making their own from available materials in their facilities – creating unsafe conditions for both nurses and their patients. This is unacceptable, RNs continue to work on the frontlines of this outbreak and should have the equipment needed to safely do their job. Tell your senator here.
- Give nurses a social-media shoutout. Sometimes just being seen can go a long way in helping bolster someone’s spirits. Knowing you recognize their sacrifice and care enough to thank them could give an exhausted nurse in your life the strength to face another shift. Go here to download your photo and share it on social media.
Seventeen ways to go: READ MORE…
Learn more about the Nursing program at Inver Hills by contacting:
Dawn Newman
Director of Nursing
651-450-3309
¹ Courtesy of National Nurses Day
Nurses are a really important part of healthcare system. They are the backbone of healthcare industry.