National Nurses Week is May 7-12 The work of America's 2.9 million registered nurses to save lives and to maintain the health of millions of individuals is the focus of this year's National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6-12 throughout the United States. This year, the American Nurses Association has selected "Nursing: A Profession and a Passion" as the theme for 2007. Annually, National Nurses Week begins May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. “Today's registered nurses are devoted care givers as well as responsible professionals,” shares Chandice Covington, dean of nursing at UND. “During National Nurses Week, we honor the men and women who chose this challenging and rewarding career.” National Nurses Week focuses on highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society. The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 2.9 million Registered Nurses (RNs) through its 54 constituent member associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. For more information on National Nurses Week, visit www.nursingworld.org/pressrel/nnw. -- Becky Cournia, Alumni & Development Coordinator, Nursing, beckycournia@mail.und.edu, 777-4526