ACTION

I never tire of elevating the nursing profession any day but particularly during National Nurses Week in the US on May 6-12 and International Nurses Day (IND), proclaimed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), on May 12 every year. The 2024 IND theme (the economic power of care) advocated for a paradigm shift to frame nursing as a revenue source for governments and healthcare organizations rather than the rooted perspective of nursing as an expense. The 2025 theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies” extends the previous concept to urge governments and healthcare organizations to take action to promote the overall health of nurses—to value, protect, respect, and invest in nurses. The outcome will be stronger healthcare systems that are able to benefit all persons and society at large. Nurses face challenges in today's healthcare environment that lead to stress, burnout, departure from the profession, and physical and mental health concerns. Representing the largest percentage of the global healthcare workforce and being the most trusted profession in the US, nurses deserve more respect. In my May 2024 editorial I stated, “Feeling valued by others and receiving demonstrations of that value contribute to nurses' well-being.”1 Organizations must step up to the plate and demonstrate how much they value nursing with more than the traditional lunch or trinket during Nurses Week. Actions speak louder than words and mere gestures. IMAGINE We lost Dr. Loretta Ford this year. She was a pioneer in the NP movement. She is attributed with stating, “As nurses, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others every single day. We must constantly seek new ways to improve patient care and outcomes.” Nurses are innovative and “make it work” under the most challenging circumstances, and NPs are experts at turning challenges into opportunities. Now, it is time for the decision-makers to “make it work” for our healthcare systems, private and public. No one will deny that we are at a crossroads in US healthcare; we can either continue to fail or we can change our current model. Listen to John Lennon's song “Imagine.” The words resound with hope and address unity. Imagine a world where nurses were elevated by higher levels of education, were legally permitted to practice at their highest level of education and training, worked in environments with supports for their well-being and protections for their safety, held more high-level decision-making positions, were provided with open opportunities for personal and professional growth, and were valued for their contributions to the business of healthcare. From “Imagine”: “You may say I'm a dreamer / But I'm not the only one / I hope someday you'll join us /” And healthcare will be for all. ACTION A commitment to increase opportunity for nursing. Multiple initiatives are underway to improve the status of nursing and encourage nurses to stay in nursing and others to enter nursing. ICN Annual Report 2023; Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation; Nurses on Boards Coalition; National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing; National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Faculty Leadership Mentoring Program; initiatives at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing; and American Association of Nurse Practitioners Advocacy are a few of the many organized efforts to transform how nurses are perceived, valued, and recognized. Success in any effort depends on the active involvement of every nurse. Join the everyday fight and not just this month's celebrations. HAPPY NURSES WEEK The official celebration week is May 6-12, ending on Florence Nightingale's birthday. Let us not forget that May 8 is National Student Nurses Day and, this year, May 7 is National School Nurse Day. Make a commitment today to celebrate and elevate nurses in some small or big way every day. The future depends on all of us. Jamesetta A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP, FAAN Editor-in-Chief [email protected]