Happy Emergency Nurses Day 2020 from CareerStaff! Every year on October 14, the medical profession celebrates the essential role of ER nurses on Emergency Nurses Day. And even better, the day is the centerpiece of Emergency Nurses Week, a weeklong appreciation of the nursing professionals working so hard to keep folks safe and healthy.
“With nearly half of all U.S. medical care delivered in EDs, emergency nurses are at the forefront, not just during a pandemic, but every day to address a patient’s physical and emotional needs,” the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) announced in a news release.
This year, #ENWeek is particularly significant, given that it’s the 50th anniversary of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), the nursing association dedicated to the emergency specialty. But, just as it did with the Year of the Nurse and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, Covid-19 has taken the entire focus.
And with good reason: Across the country, emergency nurses and many other acute care healthcare professionals continue to struggle with the pandemic. Just as summer hotspots like California, Arizona and Florida start to gain control of the virus, new hotspots are rampaging in places like Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
And it’s taking its toll on nurses nationwide, too, as this sobering report in the Las Vegas Review Journal illustrates. Because emergency nurses are among those on the front lines of Covid-19 care, they’re also working at a higher risk level. With that in mind, this year’s #ENWeek isn’t just about appreciation, but about helping generate support for America’s first-responder nurses.
Emergency Nurse Week 2020: ‘Heart of Gold’
As such, the ENA has designated this year’s theme as a showcase of the “Heart of Gold” of emergency nurses. The association is also urging everyone to join them in “celebrating emergency nurses everywhere this October by writing thank-you notes, changing your profile picture or cover photo and sharing ‘heart of gold’ stories on social media.”
“During a difficult year, you have all risked your health to treat patients and have truly put your heart of gold on display for the world to see,” as the ANA’s official Emergency Nurse Week announcement states. “This is our way of appreciating everything you have done.”
We second that call to action—and we’d also like to invite you to join us at Twitter and Facebook, where we’ll be #ENWeek and #HeartofGold to show emergency nurses our appreciation. If you’re in the medical profession, you’re also encouraged to tag the ENA at @ENAorg.
To further celebrate Emergency Nurses Week, the ENA is also premiering a new full-length documentary today called “In Case of Emergency.” The film “follows 16 emergency nurses from across the United States to paint a startling picture of emergency departments stretched to the breaking point as our nation’s biggest public health challenges – from COVID-19 to the opioid crisis to gun violence to lack of insurance – collide in emergency departments,” the ENA announced. You can find more details here.
Celebrate Emergency Nurses Week With a New RN Job From CareerStaff
If you’re a nursing professional seeking a new emergency room assignment — or a job in any other nursing specialty — we’ve got amazing career opportunities across the United States. We offer flexible schedules, competitive pay (with automatic deposit) and a great selection of benefits like full medical, dental and vision and a 401(k) option. Why wait? You can apply here, or search all nursing jobs here.
Interested in working a coronavirus first responder job? We’re actively seeking emergency nurses and other acute care clinical professionals for assignments in facilities treating Covid-19 patients. Get more details here, as well as a rundown of our policies to protect our first responders.