Recognizing Nurses in May

The American Nurses Association is proud to lead the annual National Nurses Month. We are all indebted to nurses for their unwavering commitment to patients, their communities, and our health care system. The Nurses Month theme, “You Make A Difference,” was selected to encourage nurses, other health care professionals, employers, community leaders and the public to recognize and promote the vast contributions and positive impact of America’s nurses.

Celebrating honoring, and supporting nurses during the month of May provides an added opportunity to promote the value of nursing, advocate for the profession, conduct media outreach, and host events. Connect your activities to the official Nurses Month tagline — You Make a Difference — recognizing nurses’ unparalleled impact on health and health care.

MAY 1–7

Nursing is a rewarding and challenging profession so it’s critical you have access to authentic support systems and tools. Prioritize your self-care by engaging in healthy activities that target both your body and mind.

Consider joining Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™, a program designed to help you improve your health in six areas: physical activity, nutrition, rest, quality of life, safety, and mental health. Take the HealthyNurse Survey assessment to see where you are, access inspiring blogs, and join monthly 10-day challenges focused on supporting micro-behavior change towards your goals. Follow this link to learn more.

Do a self-care assessment. What activities are you doing to benefit your health and reduce your stress? Plan a course of action by using the free apps and resources offered through the American Nurses Foundation’s Well-Being Initiative. Take time for you and listen to ANA’s 9-part Gratitude podcast mini-series to learn how to cultivate a gratitude practice into your daily life.

“We must see and celebrate our nurses as whole humans, not as a fictitious image of an all-powerful, all-resilient hero.” Trusted Health offers resources for emotional and mental health support for nurses, emphasizing the need for the topic of mental health to be present in the health care conversation.

MAY 8–14

Raise visibility of the critical work nurses do and foster greater understanding of the diversity of the nursing profession by honoring exemplary nurses and engaging with your community.

Request a proclamation from your mayor/governor declaring May 6 as National RN Recognition Day and/or declaring May as Nurses Month. (A sample proclamation is available in this toolkit.)

Host a video news conference or informal virtual media roundtable and discuss nurses’ response to major events and other important health care issues in your community. (Tips for Working with the Media are available in this toolkit.)

Honor a registered nurse for a heroic act or bestow an honorary nurse title on a deserving elected official or civic leader.

MAY 15–21

As the largest group of health care professionals in the U.S., nurses provide care across all areas of the health care system and care settings. Focus on how you can excel in your nursing career and/or help other nurses in their professional journey.

Commit to participating in at least two free professional webinars. Look for topics that will expand your skills like communication, teamwork, and problem solving. Sign up for one of ANA’s free webinars from the Navigate Nursing series.

Consider certification to advance your career. Certification provides a number of benefits such as increased confidence, greater marketability, and more leadership opportunities. The ANCC Certification Program enables nurses to demonstrate their specialty expertise and validate their knowledge to employers and patients.

ANA’s Mentorship Resources facilitate one-to-one mentoring relationships that connect mentees with nurses who have more professional experience. This unique online networking and career development opportunity is free and open only to ANA members. Our mentoring resources reflect the American Nurses Association’s commitment to your professional development. To learn more about mentoring resources visit www.mentorship.nursingworld.org

If you’re an RN, consider registering for your National Provider Identifier (NPI). You provide quality care to your patients day in and day out, and this will help to evolve reimbursement to reflect the true value of nursing.

MAY 22–31

Help promote nurses’ invaluable contributions by engaging with your community and educating them on what nurses do. The vital role of nurses as leaders in their organizations, on boards of directors and as elected officials at the local, state and federal levels is making a difference in improving the nation’s health.

Pay tribute to a local nurse, or recognize all nurses who provide care every day, yearround. Write a letter or share a video from nurses. Share the tribute or a special thank you on social media using the hashtag #ANANursesMonth and #YouMakeADifference

Partner with other nursing and health care organizations in your area to sponsor a joint Nurses Month event. Consider a (virtual) fundraiser for the community, a blood drive, or online workshops aimed at reducing stress and building morale. (Use the resources listed in this toolkit to help get you started.)

Discuss current and ongoing health care issues with elected officials at the local, state, or federal level. Elected officials should be visible and accountable for their positions on health care. Stay up to date with ANA’s Policy & State Government Affairs program which monitors trends in nursing-related legislation in the states.

Take the opportunity to educate state legislators about the role and value of registered nurses in the health care system. Visit RN Action’s advocacy toolkit to learn how to voice your concerns about the nursing profession to Congress and stay up to date on the latest news and legislation from the Hill.

It’s Worth It: The Impact of CRNI ® Certification on Patients, Nurses, and Health Care Organizations/Systems

2021 marked the 20th consecutive year that nursing was rated the most trusted profession according to a Gallup poll (Gaines, 2022). This comes as no surprise to the millions of nurses who consistently go above and beyond what is expected, or to the millions of patients that they treat. Yet, for the legions of nurses who specialize in an area of nursing and hold a certification, these accolades only begin to describe their commitment.

Specialty nursing certification, as defined by the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS), is “the formal recognition of the specialized knowledge, skills, and experience demonstrated by the achievement of standards ed by a nursing specialty to promote optimal health outcomes” (American Board of Nursing Specialties, nition is a formal, yet extremely accurate way of describing a certified nurse as knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, impactful, and above all caring. And nowhere are these traits more evident than with nurses who hold the CRNI® credential.

Infusion therapy has little, if any, margin for error. It impacts not only patients and nurses, but the entire health care system. Despite this, the question that is often asked centers around value. Specifically, “Is infusion nursing cation worth it?”

If you are contemplating sitting for the CRNI® exam and are questioning the importance and need for an infusion nursing certification, you may want to consider the impact on the patient receiving an PIVC. Is it worth having ed infusion nurse who has passed a rigorous exam that covers every area of the infusion specialty? Is it worth having a certified infusion nurse insert the PIVC on the first try without complications?

Is it worth having a certified infusion nurse who selects the right catheter, based upon the patient’s vasculature and the IV medication/solution being prescribed? Is it worth having a certified infusion nurse who can instill a sense of calm in a nervous patient?

Have you talked to colleagues that have taken the CRNI® exam and asked if they feel that the time and effort they put into studying for the CRNI® exam was worth it? If so, we think you heard what we often hear, which is how much these nurses learned just by studying for the exam. In many cases It expanded their knowledge base and helped boost their dence. The bonus for them was passing the exam and adding the CRNI® credential to their title. They have told us that the impact of the CRNI® credential on their career is immeasurable.

The impact of the CRNI® credential does not stop with patients and nurses. It carries over to the health care organizations that hire and employ nurses. These organizations recognize the importance that certified nurses bring to their facility. According to a survey from the American Hospital Association Certification Center, 86% of health care facilities say that certification is a contributing factor in hiring (Vaughn, 2020). From an infusion aspect, CRNI®s perform at a higher standard and help improve the financial bottom line. These are key factors in an organizations’ hiring decision.

Are you still evaluating the value of the CRNI® exam?

Here’s a spoiler alert. It’s worth it!

References

About us. American Board of Nursing Specialties. November 22, 2022. https://www.nursingcertification.org/About-ABNS

Gaines, K. Nursing ranked as the most trusted profession for 21st year in a row. nurse.org. January 19, 2022. https://nurse.org/articles/nursing-ranked-most-honest-profession/ Vaughn, N. The importance of nurse certifications. Relias. November 6, 2020. https://www.relias.com/blog/the-importance-of-nurse-certifications.