Celebrate National Nurse Practitioners Week from Nov. 8-14

There are more than 290,000 nurse practitioners in the United States, including 7,000 licensed in Georgia.

In their honor, Nov. 8-14 is National Nurse Practitioners Week, which is held annually to celebrate these health care providers. It’s also a time to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers and allowing NPs to practice to the full extent of their experience and education, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners website.

“While this year won’t have the same pomp and circumstance as years past, the AANP and United Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (UAPRN) — Augusta Chapter are celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife,” said Dr. Pam Cromer, Augusta University College of Nursing faculty and director of the Costa Layman Community Health Outreach Program.

“As president of the local chapter, it is my honor to salute all the APRNs of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and beyond for their dedication, commitment and support of their patients and the many communities they serve,” Cromer said. “Georgia is the ninth most populous state in the country and 63 of its counties are without pediatricians, 70 counties are lacking an OB/GYN and 78 are without a psychiatrist. Georgia’s NPs are working closely with teams of the medical community to improve these statistics and address the many needs in health care.”

NPs have been on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic, leading efforts in testing, diagnosing and treating patients while trying to prevent the spread of the disease. NPS are meeting patients where the need is greatest — their homes, primary, acute, specialty and long-term care settings, and via telehealth.

The AANP website posted a list of topics that can be discussed over the next week:

Sunday, Nov. 8: This year’s theme is NPs Moving Forward: Today, Tomorrow, Together. Please join AANP in celebrating the rich history of the NP role, marking advancements in NP practice and looking forward to what the future might hold for NPs and their patients.

Monday, Nov. 9: NPs are working to diligently to address social determinants of health and increase access to health care for patients nationwide. Share ways that NPs are uniquely positioned to reduce health care disparities.

Tuesday, Nov. 10: Help AANP celebrate the variety of roles NPs hold by sharing where you practice, teach or lead. What patient population do you serve and in what setting? What inspired you to become an NP and what motivates you to continue partnering with patients to provide high-quality, compassionate health care year-round?

Wednesday, Nov. 11: This Veterans Day, we honor all veterans, including NPs and their patients who are current or previous members of the U.S. uniformed services. It is an honor for NPs to care for our nation’s service members and their families. Join AANP in honoring veterans today.

Thursday, Nov. 12: NP Week is the ideal time to celebrate the high-quality health care NPs provide through more than 1 billion patient visits each year. With data-driven insights from 50 years of research studies, it is clear why millions of Americans choose an NP as their partner in health.

Friday, Nov. 13: This year has been filled with challenges, and now we have even more reasons to celebrate the value of NP-delivered care. As 2020: The Year of the Nurse and the Midwife comes to a close, AANP is preparing a compilation of stories from NPs who have worked internationally, delivering health care to patients who need it most. Please take a moment to share your story with AANP.

Saturday, Nov. 14: AANP is The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, advocating for NPs and their patients wherever important health care decisions are being made. How do you choose to use your NP voice? On social media, please use the #NPWeek and #NPsLead hashtags to share which causes are most important to you and what actions you are taking to effect positive change.

The year’s information is presented by United Advanced Practice Nurses — Augusta Chapter, which is headed by Cromer, Vice President Elena Prendergast, Secretary Laura Logue, Treasurer Stephanie Wright, and Education Coordinator Nicole Whaley-Borchik. To inquire about membership for the CSRA’s United Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Organization, click here.

The chapter would like to recognize several 2020 Impactful CSRA APRNs:

• ALL Augusta University Health and frontline APRNS serving the CSRA during the aggressive COVID-19 pandemic
  Dr. Samantha Tojino, (Doctors Hospital): 2020 Georgia Excellence in Practice Award from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Dr. Lucy Marion, retired dean of Augusta University College of Nursing: Recipient of the state UAPRN Award of Excellence in Leadership and Innovation
• Dr. Vincent Pair, (Augusta University Assistant Professor and FNP), who was part of a military deployment to COVID-19 relief hospital in Manhattan, New York, during the initial height of pandemic. He will discuss his thoughts and experiences of that deployment from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 . Click here to join the virtual event.