Nurse leaders are essential to any long-term and post-acute care facility. These nurses fearlessly take responsibility for the success of their team and for quality resident care delivery. They spearhead the nursing department, overcoming obstacles and accepting challenges daily—whether it’s deciphering new regulations, dealing with difficult situations, problem solving for improvement, or working overtime and juggling tasks while short staffed. Nurse leaders deserve to be celebrated for the noticeable difference that they make in the lives of so many.
Today on Nurse Leader Day, and every day, from all of us at the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN), we thank you for your dedication to your profession, to your team, and to the mission of caring for the elderly and those who need your team’s specialized care. You are inspiring, you are needed, and you are appreciated for everything you do.
The example you set paves the way for the quality of care that other nurses emulate. Often, great leaders are the reason why employees stay in a facility when things get tough. Your impact is seen in those who stay and in all you are able to accomplish together. And even if circumstances take employees to other facilities, your impact is often something they bring with them and they may still work to rise to the great example you showed them and deliver the best care in their next position. You touch more lives than you know.
Take a moment today to realize your value and reinvigorate your path as a nurse leader. Remember why you started this journey. You wanted to make a difference, you wanted to lead the way, and you are doing that and so much more.
We encourage you to celebrate YOU today. Celebrate how you overcame the great odds you have faced over the last year; celebrate how you chose to see the good that comes from your work even on the hard days; celebrate the strong team you have created and how you help to see them through each day; and celebrate how you continue to lead for the dignity and care that every resident deserves.
Also, don’t forget to reach out to other nurse leaders in your life today. Be sure to thank them and tell them how proud you are of the important work that they do. Learn more about how you can celebrate other nurse leaders and LTPAC professionals during Nurses Week here.
We applaud you, nurse leaders. With a standing ovation, we thank you for your leadership and your impact. We see you and the difference you are making is everything.
Happy Nurse Leader Day!