National Nurses Week takes place this year from May 6–12. The week is uniquely bookended with May 6, National Nurses Day, and May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
Throughout the week, we at Arkos and other healthcare organizations celebrate our nursing teams, highlighting the daily effort, dedication, and sacrifice nurses make. Nurses are most often the ones who work with patients at their most intimate and vulnerable moments, which deserves recognition and gratitude. National Nurses Week is just a part of the larger National Nurses Month, which is celebrated from May 1 to the 31st.
Organized each year by the American Nurses Association (AMA), this year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference,” which “honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting.”
The theme is accompanied by the campaign #NursesLightUpTheSky, where, around the world, landmarks will be lit up to celebrate nurses and rally support for all that they do.
Hope On The Horizon For Nursing Professionals
We encourage all to read the fifth annual State of US Nursing Report, published by Incredible Health, an organization led by Iman Abuzeid, MD. A former medical doctor, she’s a McKinsey alumnus and has led product management at health tech startups.
While this 2024 report features a great deal of numbers and statistics, more importantly, it sheds light on the challenges US nurses face, particularly the ongoing staffing shortages that continue to impact patient care, while still shining a light on bright spots in the profession.
After analyzing their proprietary data of over 1,000,000 nurses (300,000 more nurses than in 2023) and a survey of over 3,300 nurses nationwide, the report says there are reasons to be hopeful.
Mental health among nurses is improving (up 6% from 2023), thanks to efforts by health systems to combat burnout and foster a sense of community.
The desire to remain in the nursing profession remains strong, with 79% of nurses expressing they will remain a nurse until retirement, pointing to their passion for helping others as the driving force behind this dedication.
Despite the strides made, staffing shortages remain a significant challenge for nurses.
While nurses are slightly less dissatisfied with current staffing levels (48% in 2024 vs. 55% in 2023), overall, they still believe that ongoing staffing shortages are negatively impacting patient care. 88% of nurses point to these shortages negatively impacting patient care, with 63% feeling stretched thin by caring for too many patients at a time.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Another area of focus in the 2024 report is the integration of AI in healthcare. While 70% do not foresee AI impacting their roles in the next year, there’s a growing recognition of its potential to support technological education and streamline processes.
Of the 11% of nurses who have used AI in their roles, they have used it for recommendations on patient care, during the patient intake process, and care summary creation, improving accuracy and saving time.
Further integration of the technology will provide new user data to enhance and evolve how the newest innovations can be integrated. For nurses, acclimatizing to these new systems can take time, but as the technology is honed and new best practices emerge in the field, efficiencies that reduce administrative and procedural burdens become possible. This means the overall workload on nurses will be reduced, providing them with more time to breathe and focus, with clarity, on the most critical aspects of their role.
New Models Of Care Represent New Career Pathways For Nurses
As nursing continues to evolve, new models of care are continuously increasing the opportunities for nurses. At Arkos Health, we employ nurses for a variety of critical functions and patient care needs. We are deeply committed to maintaining a culture built upon collaboration and compassion allowing us to make meaningful changes in the lives we touch – every day. Our competitive benefits package provides nurses, nurse assistants, and nurse practitioners an exciting chance to get ahead while developing their skillset within one of today’s most dynamic growth areas – value-based care.
We strive to ensure our entire team has not only the modern tools and practices to advance but also a culture that values and nurtures individuals who have chosen healthcare for all the right reasons.
Learn more about our openings here.
BY Arkos Insights
Published May 10, 2024 3:34PM
