What is Nurses Week 2022?
Nurses Week is an annual celebration and acknowledgment of the tireless work of nurses. This recognition was a hard-won fight that started in the 1950s when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare proposed the idea of a “Nurse Day” to President Eisenhower. At the time, no action was taken, but after continuous efforts over the course of 40 years, “National Recognition Day for Nurses” was established in 1982. It was later expanded to a full week of recognition in 1991.
During the next 30 years, we celebrated nursing professionals with company-wide shoutouts, pizza parties, and hand-made banners with messages of support. Over time, these gestures began to feel overdone, and they’ve never really matched the gravity of the work that nurses do or how much they give to others. The last 24+ months have only heightened this issue with how we recognize and thank those who choose to dedicate themselves to this profession.
Nurses Deserve Better
Working the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an immense physical and emotional toll on our nursing professionals. 75% of nurses entered the field because they have a desire to help others, according to a recent IntelyCare Research Group report. Yet, more than half of them would now not encourage their own children to get into nursing. That’s a huge difference.
As we enter Nurses Week 2022, it is clear to us that it is time to expand beyond what we have always done to acknowledge nurses. It is time to ask the nursing professionals themselves what it is that they want as a “thank you” and meaningful gesture of recognition for their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. That is why a group of nurses at IntelyCare came together to design an appreciation week that leaves the cold pizza parties and “Thank You, Healthcare Heroes” banners behind.
Reimagining Nurses Week 2022
What we heard from nurses is that they want experiences to remember and support in pursuing their career goals. We took this feedback to heart when planning this year’s celebration.
First, we wanted to make sure that this celebration would speak to ALL nurse types. That is why we changed the name from Nurses Week to Nursing Professionals Week, to be inclusive of the work of all nursing professionals. Whether you are a CNA, LPN, RN, or NP, this week is for you. Your dedication, compassion, and hard work do not go unnoticed.
Next, we really wanted to give our nurses an experience that they could enjoy together, and that they could never forget. That is why we decided to host Intely@Sea, which will bring hundreds of nursing professionals together to celebrate, relax, and learn together. One of the biggest pieces of feedback we heard is that nurses want a chance to completely step back and rest after all of the hours of strenuous work that their careers have demanded of them. With Intely@Sea, we are providing a space to recharge in the sun, sand, and sea!
We also heard that making time to keep up with CE requirements has been a challenge for all nursing professionals. So, while rest and relaxation will be a key component of Intely@Sea, providing easy access to CE credits will also be a major part of the experience. We have invited nursing influencers and subject matter experts to join the cruise and teach courses on everything from how to achieve nurse/life balance, nutrition, and food access, personal branding, and so much more. Creating the space for nursing professionals to focus on their long-term career goals is part of the rejuvenation that Intely@Sea will provide.
Not everyone can join us on the cruise, so we want to give every nursing professional the opportunity to access free educational resources. So, during Nurses Week, IntelyCare is providing the IntelyEdu Post-Acute Care Competency Training (PACCT) Bundle, worth 20 CEs for free! Any nursing professional will be able to take this course, 100% free of charge, from May 6 – May 13, using coupon code nurseweek22.
“This is the way that nurses should be recognized and celebrated – with a Nursing Professionals Week that recognizes everyone’s commitments and contributions, that provides a real space to unwind and rejuvenate, and that gives access to many social and educational opportunities.”
Rebecca Love, MSN, RN, FIEL and Chief Clinical Officer
Finally, we acknowledge that Nursing Professionals Week is not just about celebrating, but also about continuing the hard work of advocacy on behalf of nurses. Yet another thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed to the world is that nursing professionals deserve better as employees, as caregivers, and as an integral part of the healthcare system that they are. They deserve commemoration and a chance to celebrate and grieve those nurses that were lost during the pandemic. That is why IntelyCare has signed on to sponsor and attend the Nurses March, taking place on Thursday, May 12 in Washington, D.C. We are very proud to stand alongside our fellow nursing professionals. Shaunna Siler, Nurse and Regional Clinical Quality at IntelyCare, will be speaking at the event, and Rebecca Love, Nurse, and Chief Clinical Officer will be providing a recorded message of support.
In addition to all these events, IntelyCare is always looking for ways to surprise and delight our nursing professionals throughout the year. During Nursing Professionals Week 2022, we will be doing a shoe giveaway with our partner, Gales+, where we will be giving away 300 “IntelyCare Blue” shoes.
Nursing professionals have always deserved an enormous amount of recognition and thanks for dedicating their lives to patient care. Unfortunately, over time, the recognition has not been nearly big enough, and we hope to change going forward.
To our IntelyPros, and to nursing professionals everywhere, we want to say “thank you” for giving so much. This Nursing Professionals Week, we hope you feel sincerely acknowledged and valued because we can promise you – you are.