Fort HealthCare celebrates National Nurses Week with wellness walk

Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. During this week, Fort HealthCare nurses will celebrate by holding a Nurses Day Community Wellness Walk on Wednesday, May 9. All are welcome to participate in celebrating health and wellness with a Wellness Walk led by Fort HealthCare’s patient care team.

The walk will begin on the front lawn at Fort Memorial Hospital and proceed to 2 Rivers Bicycle and Outdoor; then to Fort HealthCare Surgical Associates on Milwaukee Street. Light refreshments will be provided to those who return to the hospital. The walk starts at noon and continues until 5:00 p.m. There is no formal group start time, so walkers may walk at their leisure. The event will be held, rain or shine.

Michael Wallace, president and CEO of Fort HealthCare recently addressed the critical role nurses have in ensuring the health of the community. “As more individuals require medical care with fewer resources available, the advancement of the Nursing profession becomes increasingly important. Nurses are a fundamental link for ensuring patient safety and coordinating care as patients navigate through a complex system.”

The annual celebration of 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.

This year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has selected "Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring" as the theme for 2012. The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through state and district nurses associations.

The Nursing Services department at Fort HealthCare has made significant achievements in advocacy, leadership and comprehensive clinical nursing care- the same themes identified by the ANA. The recently completed 2011 Nursing Annual Report describes many of the major accomplishments attained by Fort HealthCare nurses, including increased mastery of the Compass electronic health record installed August 1, improving upon work flow processes to improve quality of care and readying the profession for the future of Nursing Services and performance improvement. Their ongoing attention to detail and patient advocacy are critical to overcoming many obstacles that exist in the healthcare delivery system.

Renee L. Clark, Vice President of Nursing Services & Performance Improvement at Fort HealthCare has been highly supportive of the nurses’ efforts to improve clinical care across the organization and beyond. “The nurses of Fort HealthCare are actively engaged within our organization and throughout the community. Their dedication, passion, and enthusiasm has allowed them to accomplish so much, and will help them to achieve much more in the future,” said Clark. “I’m optimistic, encouraged, and motivated by what lies ahead for Fort HealthCare Nursing Services”.

To view the 2011 Nursing Annual Report or learn more about Nursing at Fort HealthCare, visit FortHealthCare.com/Nurses. If you have a special story to share about a nurse who cared for you at one of our clinics or Fort Memorial Hospital, please share your story at Facebook.com/FortHealthCare.