The month of May is designated to give recognition to Nurses. National Nurses Week is from May 6 to May 12, ending on Florence Nightingale’s birthday. May 8 is National Student Nurse Day, and May 6 is targeted to be National RN Recognition Day.
Here are interesting facts related to the nursing profession:
- Linda Richards became the first nurse to earn a nursing diploma in the United States in 1873.
- About three out of every five registered nurses work in hospitals.
- Florence Nightingale, the most famous nurse in modern history, was only a nurse for three years of her life.
- Walt Whitman’s service as a nurse during the American Civil War inspired many of his poems, including Memoranda During the War.
- The first nursing school in history dates back to 250 B.C. and was located in India.
- Second Lieutenant Edward Lynn, in 1955, was the first male to be commissioned in the United States Army Nurse Corp.
Have you visited a nurse recently or do you have a nurse in the family? Take some time to show the nurses in your life that you appreciate their efforts. There are many ways to show appreciation:
- Write a thank you note
- Tell the nurses “thank you”
- Listen to the advice they give you
- Bring the nurses a treat
- Let their supervisors know when nurses go above and beyond for you
Types of Nurses
A nurse can have many designations. Each designation has a different length of time. The fastest path to becoming a nurse is to become an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) or LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse). This program takes approximately a year to complete. After another year of school, the designation becomes an ADN (Advanced Degree in Nursing), then a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). After someone receives their BSN, they can take a test to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Further schooling results in an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) and finally a Doctorate in Nursing. After every designation, there is a test to prove that students have learned the skills required to perform their nursing duties. Most of the programs also have direct patient time to give students practical experience in the clinical setting. Above and beyond the degree, students can also choose to specialize in an area of nursing such as Burn Care Nurse or Clinical Nurse Specialist. There are over 100 different types of nurse specialties. Each specialty comes with its own process for designation. Most include obtaining the RN title then several thousand hours of practical experience in the work setting. Additionally, there can be a continuing education hours required and a certification exam.
For more information on the nursing profession click here and here.
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