Published by: Rhonda Scott on 5/11/2011 10:12:25 AM
At Grady Health System in Atlanta, Ga., we celebrate National Nurses Week with great pride and enthusiasm. This year’s theme, Nurses: Trusted to Care, reflects the community’s confidence in our ability to provide compassionate, quality, and safe care.
On Friday, May 6, Grady’s 1,400 nurses kicked-off a week-long celebration with our traditional opening ceremonies program and luncheon. In addition to the crowning of a Mardi Gras King and Queen and the announcement of the Nurse of the Year Award, the opening ceremonies included time during which nurses were asked to reflect on their character, integrity, competence, strength and truth. All of these values underscore our trusting relationships developed with patients and their families.
The kick off also included the launch of the “Grady Nurses Caring for the Community Project” to support community members who are living in need. Nurses invited the entire health system to bring new and slightly used clothing to be distributed internally to our patients in the Emergency Department, Mental Health Center, and Crestview Nursing Home, as well as to our community partners at City of Hope and My Sister’s House.
The week will close with a Mardi Gras Madness celebration, led by the King and Queen, which includes a special reception, parade, music, dance and refreshments.
As one of the largest public health systems in the United States and the only Level 1 Trauma Center within 100 miles of Atlanta, Grady relies on a staff of proactive, motivated and expertly trained nurses to handle the nearly 600,000 patient visits the health system receives each year.
National Nurses Week is the perfect time to thank nurses, like those at Grady, who dedicate their time, compassion and talent to patients across the country every hour of every day.
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Rhonda A. Scott, PhD, RN, CS
Senior Vice President / Chief Nursing Officer
Grady Health System