Celebrating the Spirit and Dedication of Our Nurses

By Tony Paterniti, PhD, RN
Director of Education
Methodist Dallas Medical Center

Today is the last day of National Nurses Week, an annual observance dedicated to the high calling of the nursing profession and honoring those who have chosen to serve others.

Across Methodist Health System, we strive to honor and recognize our outstanding nurses throughout the year. We do this in many ways:

• Our professional advancement program enables nurses to move up in their careers and provides opportunities to recognize their achievements as they progress from novice to seasoned caregiver.
• Our unit-based council structure provides an avenue for nurses to give input on caring for patients on their unit and throughout the hospital.
• Our collaborative nursing program with El Centro College encourages not only our employees but also their family members to become registered nurses.
• Our generous tuition reimbursement program inspires our nurses to continue the lifelong pursuit of nursing education.

Perhaps no other human being has had a greater impact on health care than Florence Nightingale. A young Victorian woman born to a wealthy family, she heard the whisper of God’s voice to improve the well-being of her fellow man by improving the perception and skills of the primary caregivers — nurses. Her efforts added enormous credibility to the profession of nursing, raising it from a rudimentary practice to a noble service. Her gift was adding the human touch to caregiving, something that was missing up to that time. Her efforts to formalize nursing education eventually impacted health care delivery in every corner of the world. To bolster the effectiveness of the nurse, Nightingale worked diligently to change the physical environment in the hospital to be more conducive to the practice of nursing.

This year, Methodist Dallas Medical Center is bringing a special exhibit to the community to celebrate our nurses and their noble calling. The Florence Nightingale exhibit will be open from 2 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, in the main lobby of the hospital. The exhibit will provide a look at the development and history of the nursing profession. We feel this is one of the best ways to honor our nurses and recognize the critical role they play in helping our patients heal.

One of our educators is re-creating the dress that Nightingale wore. In fact, the lace being used on the dress and bonnet is from England. The exhibit features:

• First-edition works by Florence Nightingale
• Books from her personal library
• An artisan’s representation of the pin given to her by Queen Victoria
• And much more.

We hope you will make plans to help us celebrate nursing and our wonderful nurses by attending the Florence Nightingale exhibit — especially if you are a nurse. You’ll come away from the experience with a greater appreciation about the roots of your profession and how her spirit belongs to mankind. Because of her dedication, her work continues through you and your colleagues. You are the spiritual descendant of Florence Nightingale. You could belong to no better family.

If you’re ready to make a historic change in your career, then it’s time to choose Methodist Health System. Visit Jobs.MethodistHealthSystem.org.

© Methodist Health System

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