Nurses lead from where we stand

摘要

This year's celebration of National Nurses Week (May 6-12) brings together the many organizational affiliates of the American Nurses Association in our (now traditional) joint editorial for the month of May. We have chosen to highlight the leadership shown by the nursing profession, day in and day out, year after year.We should all be proud to be nurses. Those of us who have been in the profession for more than a few years know how much has changed in the last 30 years or so. Respect for our profession has grown, and, of course, the specialty of infusion therapy has gained recognition, and our knowledge and expertise are sought after more than ever.We are at a turning point for health care delivery in this country. A number of factors have converged to spotlight the importance of maximizing nurses' contributions to quality, patient-centered care. The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, followed by the release of the Institute of Medicine's report on the future of nursing in October of that year, underscored nurses' unique contributions and untapped capacity to transform the quality of care.