National Nursing Week recognizes the leadership role nurses play in health care across Canada.

Celebrate National Nursing Week from May 6 to May 12. The theme,  Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Health for All, draws attention to the contribution nurses make in Canada and beyond. Recognition of national nursing week dates back to origins of modern nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.

Providing care to families, individuals, and communities is at the heart of what nurses do. But there is more to the profession that meets the eye.

UFV nursing faculty members share what nursing means to them:

• Caring for people at their most vulnerable times.
• Being an advocate and a voice for people who are ill, vulnerable, or need empowerment.
• Providing holistic care.
• Raising your voice to be a voice for others who don’t feel able to do so.
• Caring for the whole person and advocating for social justice.
• Enabling health equity for all people.
• Valuing person-hood and offering the gifts of caring and compassion.

Nurses serve in leadership, administrative, and mentorship roles. They develop policies that influence the delivery of health care, advocate for social reform, conduct research, and share knowledge to lead the next generation of professionals.

They provide evidence-based care in hospital, community clinics, classrooms, and in their everyday interactions. The role of a nurse never rests. They leave a legacy that touches the lives of people beyond just their patients.

For more information about national nursing week or tips to celebrate, visit the Canadian Nurses Association.