I don’t need to tell you how vital nurses are to our health care system. They are, without question, the most essential of essential personnel—skilled, compassionate, dedicated and absolutely indispensable to physicians like me. Nurses are the ones at the bedside day and night, answering calls, comforting patients, coordinating care and often serving as the bridge between patients and the rest of the care team.

Their impact is immeasurable.

That’s why I’m especially glad to have recognized National Nurses Month—and more specifically, National Nurses Week, which is observed annually from May 6-12. It’s a time to thank nurses for their tireless efforts, professional excellence and the deep humanity they bring to everything they do.

The idea for the observance came from Dorothy Sutherland, an employee of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, who sent a letter to President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953 proposing a specially designated day for nurses for that October. While Eisenhower never signed the proclamation, the first National Nurses Week was celebrated in October 1954—the 100th anniversary of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale’s service in the Crimean War. 

It took two more decades before the observance gained official recognition. In 1974, President Richard Nixon issued a proclamation designating National Nurses Week. Then, in 1981, the state of New Mexico took it a step further by declaring May 6—Nightingale’s birthday—as a National Recognition Day for nurses. President Ronald Reagan formalized this recognition the following year.

This year, the American Nurses Enterprise promoted the theme “The Power of Nurses.” It’s a fitting tribute to the remarkable contributions that nurses make every day, often while navigating enormous challenges such as staffing shortages, public health emergencies and increasing demands on their time and expertise. 

At The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, we’re proud to celebrate our exceptional team of nurses and nurse practitioners. They are not just caregivers; they are educators, advocates and leaders in every sense of the word. In fact, several of our nurse practitioners serve as clinical leads in our community health centers, managing teams and ensuring all of our patients—from pediatrics to geriatrics—receive affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services.

Recognizing the need to prepare more nurses for advanced practice roles, The Wright Center launched a 12-month Nurse Practitioner Fellowship in Family Medicine, one of the few programs of its kind in Pennsylvania. The fellowship provides newly certified nurse practitioners with intensive hands-on experience and mentoring during their first year in practice.

As the demand for health care continues to grow—particularly in underserved areas—nurse practitioners and other advanced-practice nurses will play an increasingly central role.So, whether you’re a nurse practitioner, registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, know this: Your work is seen, valued, and deeply appreciated. You are the lifeblood of health care. On Nurses Week, and every week, I tip my hat to you. 

Thank you for all that you do for our patients, our clinicians, our care teams and our communities.

Douglas Klamp, M.D., is senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.