Happy Nurses Week. When I started thinking about what to say to nurses this month, I could feel my enthusiasm bubbling up. As the backbone of health care, nurses are something to crow about. Then I had a reality check, knowing what a tough time nurses are having and the many roadblocks that affect how we deliver care today.
Some people blame managed care.
Some say nurses can't clearly articulate our worth as health care providers. Some contend that if more men were in the profession, we'd be further ahead. Despite being the largest group of health care providers, nurses aren't influential in the media and don't get much attention except when things go wrong. Nursing school didn't prepare many of us to advocate for our profession, and we're a silent majority. Yet Florence Nightingale was a powerhouse.