For 18 years, I held a dual role as a full-time staff nurse and an adjunct clinical faculty member. Each year, from May 6 to 12, I was keenly aware of Nurses Week, a time marked by messages from hospital leadership, recognition of exemplary frontline nurses, and the familiar gestures of appreciation such as a complimentary breakfast or lunch. Yet, for many years, a similar sense of celebration seemed largely absent in nursing academia.
Traditionally, Nurses Week has centered on honoring bedside nurses. Now, as a full-time nursing faculty member, I find myself somewhat removed from those familiar celebrations. Recently, however, I was struck by the ...