H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Each year during Nurses Week, I like to follow the tradition started by my dear friend and predecessor, Linda Campbell, who would talk about where we have been and where we are going. Nurses Week is the perfect time to celebrate our accomplishments and set our sights on future goals.

This year, I found myself reflecting on what it means to be a nurse. I believe it means that you are in demand, respected, valued. Research has shown that patient outcomes are better when the patient is cared for by a Registered Nurse. Patients have fewer complications such as infection or deep vein thrombosis. They also have fewer falls, which usually result in additional complications, increased time in the hospital and increased costs. And patients report higher satisfaction with their care when it is provided by a Registered Nurse. Nurses have intuitively known this to be true, but now solid research provides substantive evidence that it is indeed true.

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