As I write this today, we are marching through National Nurse’s Week. This week there have been lots of fun things at work-free food, free gifts, bowling, and other things to do. It’s a chance for we nurses to be recognized and remembered for what we do for others.

Nurse’s week started in the 1950’s but was originally begun as a one-day celebration of recognition. Later, the ANA adopted the week of May 6 - 12 as Nurse’s Week, and it is permanently celebrated on these dates.

Nurse’s week is more than just a time to get free food and gifts, though. I find it to be a good time of retrospection. It feels like an affirmation of sisterhood (or brotherhood!). To me, having time where we are recognizably appreciated by management and media helps shine a light on our profession, and hopefully shows others that as nurses we are hard-working professionals within our profession.

If you are a nurse or soon to be a nurse, take some time to reflect this week on your reasons for going into the field. Use this time as a chance to reconnect with your initial feelings about nursing and to remember why you chose to become a member of this challenging, busy, tiring, fulfilling and awesome profession. Take a few minutes to relax and reflect; you deserve it!

For a great gift for a special nurse or for yourself, click here.

We are pleased to announce a new contributing member to the Nurses Station Blog.

Deanna, a nurse currently working in emergency care, kept a journal throughout her days as a nursing student. She will graciously share he thoughts, experiences, lessons learned and feelings during nursing school.

My name is Deanna and I am an RN.

I am a nurse in very busy, very large ER. Prior to this, I worked in maternity, oncology/hospice and med/surgical nursing. I’ll soon be starting my Bachelor’s degree and then plan to get my Master’s, with the intention of becoming a Nurse Educator when I am ready to leave bedside nursing.

I first attended nursing school when my son was very young. I’d always had an interest in biology and medicine, but I chose nursing mostly because the talk of the nursing shortage seemed to promise a secure job with good wages. I quickly realized that I was too young and too busy as a new mother to fully appreciate the educational opportunity. I left the program and concentrated on my family instead.

I worked part time while my kids were growing up, and always stayed on the fringes of the medical field. It wasn’t until my husband was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002, that I realized how very much I wanted to continue my nursing education. While we journeyed into the murky waters of being an oncology patient, I began to admire and appreciate what the nurses were doing for us. I was feeling a subtle but urgent scratching that was telling me it was time to revisit my earlier educational pursuits.

After my husband’s health was stabilized, and with the support and encouragement of my family, friends, and co-workers at the clinic, I entered the community college to restart the degree program I had begun almost two decades ago. This time I felt I had a true calling to the profession and that I was prepared for the rigors of nursing school.

I graduated in May 2006, just a month before my son graduated from high school.

Becoming a nurse has fulfilled a space in me that I never knew existed before. I truly feel it is a calling, and one for which I am very thankful.

Cherokee Uniforms, has what we at Nurses Station think is a terrific award program. Cherokee Uniform’s “Inspired Comfort Award” recognizes nurses and other non-physician healthcare professionals who demonstrate exceptional service, sacrifice and innovation, and have a positive impact on the lives of others. This is the 5th year that the leading designer and manufacturer of healthcare apparel and scrubs has honored inspirational caregivers. The Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award reaches nationwide. Nurses Station salutes Cherokee Uniforms for celebrating these healthcare professionals.

Click here to see the list of 2007 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award recipients and to read their stories of inspiration.

If you would like to nominate a nurse or other non-physician healthcare professional for the 2008 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award, click here.

Nurses Station is dedicated to offering nurses and other healthcare professionals quality scrubs at an affordable price. To ensure that we are offering the scrubs that healthcare professionals like best, we have created a brief survey. Help us provide you with the lines of scrubs that you are looking for by filling out our survey. We will add styles, brands and sizes to our scrubs collection based on your answers.

Click here to take the survey. Thank you for helping us help you!

Nurses Station invites you to participate in a survey about scrubs. This questionnaire will only take a few moments of your time, and will help us provide you with the scrubs you are looking for.

Should you take this survey, we will not sell the data collected and we will not contact you.

Thanks for your help! Click here to take the survey.

I came across a nursing video on YouTube and thought it was something that our readers would enjoy. The clip is called Angels on Earth, Part 1. It’s a short clip but the message is powerful. It demonstrates the incredible role nurses play in providing help, hope and miracles to the tiniest patients and their families.

Nurses Station says “caps off and heartfelt thanks to all NICU nurses.”

Nurses Station is looking for guest bloggers. Are you a nurse with stories to share, opinions and ideas on the nursing and the health care profession and a desire to be heard? If you are interested in becoming a voice for Nurses Station or a regular contributing member to our blog posts, please submit inquiries by using our Contact Us form.

Please include the following information:

• How many years have you been a nurse?
• What degree in nursing do you hold?

We look forward to hearing from you.