SARASOTA, Fla. (May 8, 2023) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is celebrating Nurses Week with a weeklong slate of activities recognizing the care and commitment of its more than 3,000 nurses and 1,000-plus patient care and multi-skilled technologists who support nursing care.
National Nurses Week is a time that hospitals, health care professionals and communities recognize the contributions and positive impact of America’s 4 million registered nurses
. Each year, the celebration begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday.
“Nursing is one of the most trusted professions in the world, and we can’t thank them enough for the vital roles they play,” said Sarasota Memorial Chief Nursing Officer Connie Andersen said. “Whether in our hospital or one of our outpatient settings, our patients benefit from their exceptional skills and care.”
In addition to unit-based celebrations throughout the week, chaplains will round throughout clinical areas on Tuesday for the popular “Blessing of the Hands” ceremony, a tradition in which chaplains anoint nurses’ hands with oil and bless them as instruments of healing. On Thursday, the health system will host its annual Nurse of Excellence ceremony, presenting nursing excellence awards to clinicians and nursing leaders who epitomize the values that have made Sarasota Memorial a “Magnet Hospital” for nurses.
SMH is the o
nly Magnet Hospital in the region – the nation’s highest nursing honor. SMH has received continuous Magnet designation since 2003. Each four-year designation requires passing a rigorous survey and achieving the organization’s high quality standards. In March, Sarasota Memorial also was ranked in the top 10 hospitals for nurses in the state of Florida, and the highest in the region, according to the NurseJournal, a national resource in education and career development for nurses and aspiring healthcare professionals.
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 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. Its flagship 901-bed Sarasota hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and comprehensive network of outpatient services. In November 2021, the public health system opened a second acute-care hospital, SMH-Venice, to serve the growing south Sarasota County region and the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute to expand and improve cancer care in the community. For more information, visit smh.com.