CDC Celebrates National Nurses Week

A nurse performs a stick test to check for poison. 1943

At CDC there are over 200 nurses that serve as branch chiefs, deputy directors, EIS officers, public health advisors, senior scientists, communicators, educators, and occupational health nurses. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 to May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.

CDC proudly recognizes registered nurses on this particular week for the quality work they provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. National Nurses Week focuses attention on the diverse ways America's 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. This year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has selected "Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring" as the theme for 2012 and many CDC nurses exemplify this theme.

“As a member of the Clinician Communication Team, I am able to provide nurses with trusted information from CDC related to emerging health threats and disaster preparedness and response. Prior to my work at CDC, I never really fully valued the importance of the role of the clinical nurses in disaster preparedness, and because of my position as a health communication specialist in the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, I can now help increase the awareness level of thousands of other nurses as it relates to all-hazards preparedness,” said Loretta Jackson-Brown, PhD(c), RN, CNN.

Karen Boone volunteers internationally

Karen Boone, MPH, MN, RN, FNP-BC, and public health advisor with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, uses her skills and public health knowledge at work and in her international volunteer work in Zambia, promoting cervical cancer awareness and screening.

“I gained insight into what it takes to promote health in a low-resource country. The experience challenged my assumptions and opened my eyes about the relationship between access to care and health promotion. In the US low-income uninsured women who receive health education about cervical cancer have access to services through CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program. In Zambia access to care is much more limited,” said Boone, who will use that insight to prepare for an upcoming volunteer trip to Zambia in June.

Checking blood pressure

CDC nurses have represented the agency in many conferences. “On one occasion I was invited to speak about bioterrorism and infection control to 100 new nurse graduates at a local hospital," said Jackson-Brown. "Many were not familiar with CDC’s role in emergency preparedness and response. I felt privilege to impact the future of nursing through knowledge exchanging. I believe nurses look to CDC nurses for leadership, they recognize CDC as a trusted sources for information. This makes me proud to be a CDC nurse.”

Registered nurses comprise the largest healthcare profession and National Nurses Week highlights the diverse ways in which they work to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities, to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding healthcare needs of our society.