National Nurses Week: Why you should consider a career in nursing

May 5, 2023

Nurses are our unsung heroes. In addition to performing necessary tests, making care decisions, and informing patients about their health, nurses are qualified healthcare professionals who perform a variety of other tasks. They also support doctors during procedures and treatments. Due to an aging population, there is a growing need for qualified nurses in all areas of health care. Although it requires commitment, compassion, and dedication, nursing provides excellent job security and competitive pay.

National Nurses Week is an excellent opportunity to honor the nurses in your life, think about your short- and long-term career goals, reflect on your successes, and think about how you can continue to have an impact on patient care, whether you are thinking about a career in nursing or already work as a nurse. Learn more about this established recognition event, how to celebrate it, and why you should consider a career in nursing.

What is National Nurses Week?

National Nurses Week, sponsored and promoted by the American Nurses Association, is an annual event that recognizes the contributions and sacrifices made by nurses and serves as an opportunity to express our gratitude to the healthcare professionals who ensure our continued health. It is observed between May 6, National Nurses Day, and May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday.

The first steps toward the celebration's recognition were taken in 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland led the charge to establish an official "Nurse Day" and submitted a proposal to President Eisenhower. On March 25, 1982, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses," almost 30 years after the original petition. A few years later, the event was expanded to last for an entire week, and National Nurses Week began officially in 1994.

The theme for National Nurses Week 2023 is "You Make a Difference," which honors the diversity of nursing roles and the positive impact nurses have on everyone's lives.

"A career in nursing is incredibly rewarding for those who want to improve the lives of patients and communities. With almost 4.2 million registered nurses across the country, nursing is the largest health care profession in the United States."

5 ways to celebrate National Nurses Week

There are many ways to express gratitude and appreciation for the nurses in our lives, from planning events to giving memorable gifts. Here are five ways to honor National Nurses Week and the incredible work that nurses do every day:

1. Give out thank-you bags

This is a great way to express appreciation in general. Assemble some small gift bags with thank-you cards, useful items like mugs, pens, and notepads, and gift cards or coupons to local retail businesses for a massage or a meal. You can then mail these gift bags to nurses you know or make arrangements to deliver them to a local hospital or assisted living facility.

2. Highlight a nurse on social media

Each day of National Nurses Week, pick a nurse you know personally or choose one from your local hospital to highlight. Describe their background, accomplishments, or a typical day in their life, if you have their permission. In addition to giving the highlighted nurse the satisfaction of having their work recognized, this may inspire others to value nurses or consider a nursing career.

3. Offer to cater breakfast or lunch

Nurses rarely have time to eat a real meal because they are constantly on the go. Make arrangements to cater breakfast or lunch for your community hospital or assisted living facility. A lunch of healthy options, like sandwiches and salads, or a continental breakfast with fruit, bagels, coffee, tea, and pastries would be greatly appreciated.

4. Donate to a nurse's association

Donating to a nonprofit or charitable organization that is relevant to nurses can be a great way to support the profession as a whole. Many nursing associations, such as the American Nurses Foundation, Nurses House, and Project HOPE, work to advance the nursing profession while assisting nurses who are in need or face healthcare challenges both personally and within their communities.

5. Organize a nurse appreciation event

Collaborate with nursing or healthcare organizations and local business owners to obtain donations, sponsored gifts, and complimentary services such as massages, spa days, meals, and discounts. You could hold a raffle and use the funds to honor local nurses with prizes. Additional event options include a blood drive, a fundraiser, or an online health literacy workshop.

Why you should consider a career in nursing

A career in nursing is incredibly rewarding for those who want to improve the lives of patients and communities. With almost 4.2 million registered nurses across the country, nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the United States. Nurses have a significant impact on patients' health and well-being and the communities where they live, and they play a crucial role in health care. Here are seven reasons why you should consider a career in nursing:

1. You'll make a difference

You have the chance to directly affect your patients' lives positively as a nurse. Nursing professionals give patients in need compassionate, committed care every day. For many patients, nurses are their first interaction with the healthcare industry. By improving patients' health and well-being, nursing contributes to personal fulfillment.

2. Plenty of available job opportunities

As current nurses retire or move on to other professions, many job opportunities are available for nurses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects there to be around 203,200 job openings each year for registered nurses between 2021 and 2031. As for nursing assistants and orderlies, the BLS predicts around 220,200 openings each year during the same time frame.

3. Diversity of nursing positions

You can choose from more than 100 nursing specialties and focus on anything from cardiology to labor and delivery. Nurses can work as nurse practitioners, educators, researchers, or administrators, depending on their interests and skill set.

4. A positive job outlook

Over the next 10 years, there will be greater demand for nurses in all specialties and more job openings as the current workforce retires. In fact, the BLS predicts that by 2031:

Licensed practical nurse (LPN) roles are anticipated to increase by 6%.
There will be a 5% increase in demand for nursing assistants and orderlies.
The highest job growth, at 40%, will be for nurse practitioners, midwives, and nurse anesthetists.

5. Diverse workplaces

There are nursing positions available in a range of healthcare facilities, including clinics, hospice care, and traditional hospitals. You can also apply for jobs as a private nurse in someone's home or in non-health-care workplaces, such as cruise ships or resorts.

6. Competitive salaries

Nurses can earn competitive salaries, though the amount varies based on the individual's level of education and experience. Depending on your position, you can make anywhere from $16 an hour as a nursing assistant to $118,000 annually as a nurse practitioner. Specialty nurses like nurse anesthetists can earn, on average, $202,500 annually.

7. Flexibility

Nursing positions' flexibility in terms of working hours and locations makes them perfect for people who need to work nontraditional hours or would like to travel. The number of job postings for contract or travel nurses increased by almost 120% between January 2019 and January 2022, indicating that travel nursing is becoming an increasingly popular career option.

If you're thinking about a career in nursing, you can be confident that you will be entering a rewarding, essential, and rapidly growing field. There are countless opportunities for nurses looking for employment, depending on your specialty or interests, from acute care and ambulatory care to case management and traveling nursing. With National Nurses Week approaching, now is the perfect time to consider this meaningful career. If you think it might be right for you, sign up to get email alerts for new nursing jobs.