Each year during the month of May, we are given the opportunity to celebrate the caliber of our work at BWH. Nursing Recognition Week is a time to energize ourselves to continue to deliver the best care possible.

This year was no different. In the following pages, I hope you enjoy recounting last month’s activities. I applaud Mary Pennington and the other finalists for this year's Mary S. Fay Essence of Nursing Award. Along with their colleagues, these individuals shined as examples of excellence in nursing. I received positive feedback on this year’s Nurse Recognition Dinner and the many other events held in honor of our profession.

During this time and often throughout the year, I am reminded of the joys of our chosen profession and the important interaction with patients, which it allows. Feedback from grateful patients and thankful family members underscores your valiant work. I have been privy to the most heartfelt recollections of the nurse-patient interaction when patients or family members take the time to share their thoughts about how much we make a difference in the lives of their loved ones. I am still touched by their accounts of your fine work with some of the sickest and most vulnerable patients in the region.

Your dedication shines through as we continue to welcome infants into the world, bring the latest technology to the bedsides of our patients, handle trauma situations with calmness and ease, or nurse cancer survivors back to optimal health. Your collective efforts are cause for celebration throughout the year.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Sincerely,

Nancy Kruger, DNSc, RN
Vice President, Patient Care Services
Chief Nursing Officer