Here’s To Amazing Nurses

One of the perks of living in a small town is that when a medical need arises, we’ve always had a friendly face to help us through those times.  Each and every time I have ever been hospitalized, I actually knew a nurse on duty.  When I was 19 and had my tonsils taken out, the nurse tending to me in the operating room was a family friend.  When I had my son, one of my own family members who is a nurse was on duty and seeing to my care while I labored, and a couple of nurses in the OR were girls I had attended high school with.  When I had a D & C last year, a sweet friend I grew up with was right there holding my hand and comforting me before I went into the OR and was in the recovery room as soon as I woke up.  Those experiences were made a million times easier thanks to these wonderful, caring nurses.  Their care and kindness will never be forgotten and it made all of the difference to me.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Today, as the world population continues to grow and people continue to live longer and need more care, the healthcare field is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses; there is currently a nationwide vacancy of over 100,000 positions, and that number is expected to grow to 800,000 by the year 2020.
• The upside to this shortage is that the career outlook is excellent for the nursing field. And nursing is a highly regarded profession: a 2011 Gallup Poll announced that the public voted nurses number one for “honesty and ethical standards of various professions” for the eighth consecutive year. Nurses offer patients comfort, care, and skill that is desperately needed inpatient care. The time is now to encourage and celebrate this important role in our healthcare system.
• The healthcare field is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses; there is currently a nationwide vacancy of over 100,000 positions, and that number is expected to grow to 800,000 by the year 2020? How does that make you feel?

In honor of these amazing individuals who go above and beyond, Johnson & Johnson invites you to nominate a nurse for the Amazing Nurses Contest. Nominations will be accepted until June 29, 2012.

The winning Amazing Nurse and his/her guest will attend the 2012 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute show in Los Angeles, courtesy of CNN. He or she will also be honored in a video profile which will be screened before the live audience at the show and featured on the Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson Facebook page. (*Eligible Nominees for the Amazing Nurses contest must be a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) who currently administers direct patient care.)

Do you have a story of a special nurse who made a difference for you?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.