It’s National Nurses’ Week! And like a lot of people across the nation who are touched and saved by the contributions of 3.1 million registered nurses, we want to say a simple THANK YOU.

Your work is not easy. You must have compassion and endurance to be there in the middle of the night, when your patient is struggling with pain. You must have patience and courage to fight that bureaucratic red tape that’s delaying your patient’s medications from the hospital pharmacy.

You must have the composure, medical knowledge, and technical skill to insert that central line into the distressed ER patient who needs medication. You must have an endless supply of “knock knock” jokes to comfort that frightened child.
 
Registered nurses are advocates above all else, whether as a patient advocate at the bedside or as a social advocate promoting an equitable healthcare system for all.

As the largest RN organization and union in the nation, National Nurses United is here to help RNs fulfill that role. We represent 170,000 registered nurses fighting to have the contributions and collective voices of nurses respected. We hear from our nurses every day that they are often the last line of defense for patient care in a system controlled by corporate interests.

That’s why this Nurses’ Week, NNU will not be sending out carnation bouquets, boxes of chocolates, coffee mugs, or stuffed teddy bears.

Instead, we continue to fight for what RNs really want: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

Respect is a healthcare system where nurses can care for patients to their best and highest potential.

Respect is safe staffing ratio laws and a healthcare system based on need and not the size of a person’s wallet.

Respect is quality healthcare and retirement for nurses and their families.

Respect is enacting a Robin Hood tax on Wall Street to help fund all this and more to provide a just economy for all Americans.