National Nursing Week
National Nursing Week 2010
NURSING: You can’t live without it!
National Nursing Week is celebrated from May 9 - 15, 2010
Celebrate Nursing Week - Start planning now!
Registered Nurses across the Province will celebrate National Nursing Week and join our colleagues around the world to honour the profession’s ‘modern day’ founder Florence Nightingale, who was born on May 12, 1820. National Nursing Week is our annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate our contributions and achievements as Registered Nurses. It is also an opportunity to educate the public about the many contributions Registered Nurses make to the well being of the citizens of our province. Nurses are encouraged to create opportunities to network and connect with each other and the public to tell their stories and share what nursing means to them and their communities.
Here are some activities we have gathered over the years that can give you ideas for planning and celebrating nursing in your workplace and community.
Things you can do:
- Submit health articles, offer to be interviewed, or suggest story ideas to your local media (focus on stories related to the theme).
Develop a 'Question of the Day' on local nursing trivia, give a prize at the end of the week to the person who answers the most questions correctly.
Offer a Health Screening Wellness Clinic with the usual breast exam, weigh-in, pap smear, B/P checks, prostrate exam, etc.
Organize a health teaching session on an area of population need, such as, how to do a breast exam, how to prevent bullying, etc.
Organize a fitness event to promote health, such as, a walk-a-thon or an Active Living Session in your community and/or with nursing colleagues.
Wear your School of Nursing graduation pin, hat, or “whites” for the entire week.
Purchase NNW tatoos from CNA, Purchase “RN” pins for prizes.
Invite a nursing leader to present on a topic of interest to colleagues or community.
Plan a public information session on a health issue related to your area of expertise (menopause, primary health care, Diabetes management) or a community health need (water safety).
Plan one event a day at your work place, e.g., over a daily brown bag lunch invite RNs in ‘other practice areas’ to give presentations about their role and responsibilities (RNs in LTC, ICU, CHN, NP, Float Pool, new graduate, manager, educator, etc).
Plan a social evening - invite all RNs in your agency, community - have fun together.
Attend events scheduled by nursing organizations (a complete list of events will be posted on this site).
Organize an ecumenical church service to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s birthday- many Nurses plan the entire service including writing original readings related the theme, selecting scripture readings, hymns, etc.
Organize a ‘secret nurse program’ where every RN on a unit picks another to be ‘special to’ during NNW (e.g., send a meaningful card, exchange a small gift); at RGHC secret nurses are revealed at a NNW dinner open to all health care staff.
Display profiles of RNs in a public place- include both a graduation and current photo, a brief narrative stating why the RN wanted to be a nurse, an outline of his/her experiences, or have a Guess the Nurses Pictured contest.
Organize health screening and promotion booths at local stores or shopping malls.
Recognize a retired RN in a special way.
Plan a municipal NNW proclamation with your mayor (ARNNL has model proclamations on its website).
Organize an award for nursing excellence program (model the program on ARNNL's Awards for Excellence Program).
Collect and display nursing artifacts (eg., school hats, pins, uniforms; public health nursing bags, etc.).
Invite your MHA or MP to meet with you and colleagues to discuss your local health issues.
Offer to conduct a nursing career session at you local school.
Invite Gideon's International to provide New Testaments to staff.
We challenge you to take the lead and get others to join you to plan at least one activity to celebrate nursing week this year. We guarantee - it will give you a professional boost.
ARNNL will forward a Promotion Poster to workplaces and to Workplace Representatives, Chapters and Special Interest Group Presidents for distribution in their networks in April.
Other resources can be found by visitikng: ICN or CNA
ARNNL will be posting items as they become available.