Yesterday, May 6, was the first day of National Nurses Week, an annual recognition of the many contributions nurses make to the well-being of people around the world. The week of celebrating these men and women culminates on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale (1829-1920), widely known as the founder of professional nursing. In fact, National Nurses Week was first observed in 1954, the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s pioneering work during the Crimean War.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has declared the theme for this year’s National Nurses Week to be “Nurses: Leading the Way.”
We want to congratulate and thank all of Washington’s nurses. We especially want to mention a few who take time away from their nursing duties to help lead the way here in the legislature: Rep. Eileen Cody, Rep. Tami Green, and Rep. Dawn Morrell. Thank you for all you do!