SARASOTA, Fla. (May 6, 2024) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is celebrating National Nurses Week with a weeklong slate of activities recognizing the care and commitment of its 3,500 nurses.
Each year, SMH joins hospitals and healthcare organizations across the nation celebrating Nurses Week May 6 to May 12, which is Florence Nightingale's birthday. F
or 2024, the American Nurses Association has selected the theme “Nurses Make the Difference” to honor the varying roles of nurses and their positive impact on our lives.
“For over the past two decades, there has been no profession more trusted than nursing,” said Sarasota Memorial Chief Nursing Officer Connie Andersen said. “Caregiver, counselor, educator, advocate, leader ... we can’t thank our nurses enough for all the vital ways they care for patients and our community.”
Sarasota Memorial nurses have set the standard for high-quality care here and across the nation. SMH is the only hospital in the region to achieve Magnet recognition from American Nurses Association’s Credentialing Center (ANCC), and among a select few that have been recognized for 20 years running. Less than 1% of hospitals nationwide have attained Magnet status for 20 consecutive years, according to the ANCC. Research indicates that Magnet facilities consistently outperform other hospitals in key quality measures and patient satisfaction results, as well as attract and retain an extraordinary caliber of nurses and have higher staff satisfaction.
This week, the health system will recognize its Nurses of Excellence, presenting awards to nurses who model the values that have made Sarasota Memorial a “Magnet” for the best and brightest clinicians, and more than 1,100 multi-skilled and patient care technicians supporting nursing care. In addition to the awards, SMH will host unit-based celebrations and activities throughout the week, including the popular “Blessing of the Hands,” a tradition in which chaplains anoint nurses’ hands with oil and bless them as instruments of healing.
If you would like to recognize a Sarasota Memorial nurse, send them a StarGram by clicking here.
About Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1.5 million patient visits each year across its 2 hospital campuses, free-standing ER, skilled nursing and rehabilitation center and network of outpatient and urgent care centers. To learn more, visit smh.com.