Dear Westminster nursing team members,
I am sharing my heartfelt gratitude for every nurse. This year’s theme for National Nurses Week is “Nurses Make a Difference: Anytime, Anywhere – Always.” This honors your unwavering commitment to residents and your personal mission of service. I have witnessed this service within my own family – nurses like you who have given countless hours to caring for others.
The long-standing tradition of honoring nurses began in 1954, recognizing the contributions made by nurses during World War II and the Korean War, and acknowledging how special nurses are. The nursing profession is special, and over the decades, former Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan all played a role in creating this week’s special celebration of nurses. It ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, commemorating the founder of the modern nursing profession.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was not a war, it was certainly an event that will be remembered as a historic one, everywhere. Nurses within Westminster’s communities and throughout the world stepped up to serve others in the hour of need, when others chose to stay home and be safe.
As an organization Westminster Communities of Florida is grateful to each of you. We are grateful for your commitment to your profession, and to all the residents we serve, regardless of whether your role is at the bedside, in a clinic, as a supervisor or in management, or leading our nursing services team.
Being a nurse is often physically demanding and almost always emotionally taxing, but your ongoing commitment affords residents to experience a quality of life others take for granted.
Your personal mission as a nurse makes a difference and we celebrate you. Know that your work in this profession makes a difference in countless lives, from the residents themselves, to the extended families you touch, to the communities in which you serve and the betterment of society, simply by showing up and caring for another soul to nurse them on their journey.
It didn’t take a pandemic for Westminster to know how special each of you are because we have been thankful for you not just during the tough times, but each and every day.
We celebrate all of you. Happy National Nurses Week.
Sincerely, Garry
