May 6 – 12 is National Nurses Week, an opportunity to celebrate the hard-working and dedicated nurses providing care and support for patients day in and day out.

Nurses are essential to great health care. From preventive medicine to intensive care units, nurses deliver compassionate care across more than 100 specializations spanning the full spectrum of health care. Nurses also spend a significant amount of time educating and supporting Texas patients and families, sometimes in their most difficult moments.

As teaching hospitals’ advocacy organization, Teaching Hospitals of Texas supports investments in clinical training, retention, transition to practice, and workplace safety to grow Texas’ invaluable nurse workforce. Our work with Teaching Hospitals of Texas’ nurse leaders helped us identify those key focus areas for investing in Texas’ nurse workforce. We also applaud the Governor’s recent action to create a task force focused on addressing shortages in the health care workforce as we continue our work to advocate for systemic solutions to grow and retain these critical members of Texas’ health care infrastructure.

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends May 12 in recognition of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. If you know a nurse, join us in giving them a special word of appreciation and celebrate the contributions of nurses who provide expert care, support patient safety, and advance the nursing profession. Now is the perfect time to say “thank you” to nurses for the vital role they play.

Learn more about our work to support the nurse workforce here and see how THOT members like Parkland Health implement innovative strategies to support their nurses here.