Nurses Week is May 6-12
The Tulsa Health Department joins the American Nurse Association, Oklahoma State Department of Health, health care professionals, patients and families, during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, in recognizing the important roles that nurses have in providing direct personal health care for patients and families and providing leadership in forming public health policies to improve the quality of care and quality of life for Oklahomans of all ages.
This year’s theme, “Nurses: Leading the Way,” recognizes nurses as leaders at the bedside, in the boardroom, throughout communities and in the halls of government. The public holds nurses in high regard and trusts them to advocate for patients. For the past 12 years, the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethics in an annual Gallup survey.
The 56 public health nurses on staff at THD help improve the health for entire populations through programs such as Family Planning, Adult Health, Take Charge, Emergency Preparedness and Response Program, Children First, School Health, Immunizations, Community Health Intervention and Prevention Services, and Working for Balance.
“We want to thank our very own public health nurses at the Tulsa Health Department. If you see them out in the community or here at the office, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their services,” said Tulsa Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart.
There are about 3.1 million registered nurses nationally, with about 50,000 registered nurses working in Oklahoma. There are 56 nurses on staff at the Tulsa Health Department, in programs like Family Planning, Adult Health, Take Charge, Emergency Preparedness and Response Program, Children First, School Health, Immunizations, Community Health Intervention and Prevention Services, and Working for Balance.
Nurses impact all areas of public health by serving as program administrators and consultants to working with individual clients in the clinics of the county health departments. About 500 public health nurses, at both the county health departments and at the OSDH central office, work diligently to assist in accreditation processes, many times taking lead roles on community committees and leading community assessment efforts. Additionally nurses lead the way in the Quality Improvement work of the agency in moving the needle higher in provision of clinical services. From the beginning of Public Health’s collaboration with Emergency Preparedness agencies, nurses have been critical to the planning for response and recovery in the communities of Oklahoma.
Nurses practice in diverse roles, such as clinicians, administrators, researchers, educators, care coordinators, and policymakers. They help patients secure resources, obtain comprehensive care across many service areas, and develop healthy lifestyle practices to prevent sickness and diseases. Increasingly, nurses with advanced degrees, such as nurse practitioners, are providing primary care services, managing chronic illnesses, and experiencing positive outcomes.
Thank you to all of the wonderful nurses at THD!
