May 12, International Nurses Day

Or better, “Hug a Nurse Day!” If you have an aging parent or a chronically ill loved one, there’s a good chance, like me, you’ve seen the power a nurse wields in the daily life of your loved one.

Nurse Fun Facts:

• There are approximately 28 Million nurses world wide, according to the WHO.

• There 4.2 Million RNs, 950,000 LPN/LVNs and 325,000 Nurse Practitioners in the US, according to the University of St. Augustine.

• Between 93% and 98% of all nurses are happy they chose a career in nursing, according to MedScape.

• Nurses rated themselves as very or somewhat burned out compared with the pre-pandemic period, according to MedScape.

So why is International Nurses Day good news?

Because this morning millions or women and men around the world clocked in at hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. In many cases they are trading places with the ones who spent all night there. They will don a white lab coats and by and large they will selflessly care for our loved ones. They will administer medicine to those who can’t take care of themselves, they will agitate doctors to get a prescription quicker, they will wipe mouths, noses and other less genteel parts. By and large they will perform these valuable services with careful attention to detail and caring hands. That’s incredibly good news, especially to those of us, who from time to time entrust our mamas, daddies, grandparents, aunts, uncles, children and best friends to these especially gifted people. Go ahead, hug a nurse!