May 6-12 marks National Nurses Week 2019, a week that recognizes the vast contributions and positive impact of America’s four million registered nurses (RN). We want to bring attention to the nurses who have used their degree and skills to pursue careers beyond the patient bedside for the betterment of patients, families, and the communities where they work. According to the American Nurses Association, National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This week is a time for everyone – individuals, employers, other health care professionals, community leaders, and nurses – to recognize the vast contributions and positive impact of America’s registered nurses.
The theme for National Nurses Week 2019 is "4 Million Reasons to Celebrate.” It is hard to believe that the profession has grown to such a large number. Nurses need to band together to have a unified voice for many changes to reflect safe patient care. Many LPNs, RNs, and APRNs have tried the acute care setting and found it was not for them. Others, particularly since the adoption of EHRs, have developed an interest in technology and improvement of processes for patient care, pursuing informatics and other technology-related areas to support knowledge and wisdom development. Nurses with background in clinical care who later move to technology roles know the inner workings of the hospital, and are a top choice for project teams because they are able to bridge the gap between clinical staff and IT teams when it comes to the selection and implementation of EHR technology and other devices that supports physicians, nurses, and caretakers.
Avaap has nurses working in various areas, ranging from clinical consulting and recruiting to executive leadership, helping healthcare providers better leverage technology and create new opportunities for innovation. Although life is different as a nurse in IT than as a frontline clinician, the objectives are very much the same. Nurses in IT work diligently to improve the use of technology and lead initiatives that improve the patients’ well-being. As health organizations seek to optimize and support their EHR implementation, a liaison who can speak the clinical language as well as technology can serve as at-the-elbow support to guide smooth transitions and play a supportive role as processes change.
With so many emerging technologies, there are a lot of opportunities through different organizations for nurses to use their experience in clinical care outside the hospital setting. Nurses working in IT who expand their reach beyond direct patient care still experience the rewards of helping people. Is an informatics career in your future? Come join our growing team!
Want to learn more? In honor of National Nurses Week, the American Nurses Association is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, May 8 at 1 p.m. ET, Nurses4Us: Elevating the Profession! Take an hour to immerse yourself in the many aspects of nursing care and how you as a nurse fit in and contribute to advancing nursing.