Today I got to participate in a rare nursing event: the celebration of a Fifty Year nursing career that's still going strong part time after "official" full time retirement in 2000!
In checking my staff''s license date to ensure active license, I realized last month that Nancy was first licensed in 1955....and I was only 4 months old at the time. So I discussed with HR a need to something a little special for our Nurse Day celebration. With our thinking caps on, we set out to create a memorable event.
As an addition to our wonderful breakfast spread and gift (insulated luinch bag this year), we decided to compile a nursing staff list which included date of initial licensure and # years of professional practice: RN and LPN. The info was readily available from PA state's license verification website. This revealed that our 120 nurses have a combined 2,500+ years of nursing expertise. Forty RN's (1/3 of staff) have over 25 years with the average nurse in our homecare agency having 15 years experience.
I mounted this info on centered on a trifold display board. Left side placed pictures of "modern" nursing from origins in 1880's, 2nd section 1950's practice:classroom, student nurses in med room with glass syringes and 3rd section current practice pics including our telemedicine project featured on Nursing Spectrum's November 13, 2000 cover
Telemedicine Connects Patients and Home Care Nursesand introduction of laptop computer medical record in 2004.
Right side of board was picture's of Nancy with career synopsis.
This was display was strategically placed on top of the filing cabinets where our remaining field charts are located (soon to be extinct) which the field staff pass by daily. Of course these ugly grey cabinets are the only flat surface to take pictures in front of but these got transformed with Discover Nursing's "Dare to be a Nurse" movie size posters that my staff strategically placed.
The local newspaper was contacted and agreed to do a story on Nancy's career. Yesterday I faxed out a press release to Philadelphia TV stations--(after all we do have to toot our own horns) didn't hear back but was pleasantly surprised when the VP of Patient Services pulled me out of my office this morning as "Action News" the biggest station had arrived to tape us!
I'd created a certificate of appreciation that the CEO and VP signed which was framed. The CEO presented Nancy with a Lenox vase on behalf of the agency. My staff gave her a rose bouquet. Many memorable photo''s were taken to record this event. One RN brought in her Philadelphia General Hospital (Nancy's alma matter) doubled ruffle nursing cap which Nancy posed in.
The poster display really got the nurses talking about how they couldn't belive so many years had passed since graduation and started reminiscening about their student days and career. The positive vibes were strong throughout the day.
DH was called and taped the evening news: our 15 seconds of fame was aired tonight and will be repeated on AM news. Boy that display backdrop and nursing poster looked good on camera along with the certificate. The news anchor even quiped that Dwight Eisenhower was President when Nancy's career started, a nice touch re longevity.
Gail
Guterl Editor of Philly edition, Advance for Nurses, agreed to run the story in the May 16th edition. Also, our state reperesentative is issuing a legislative proclamation to honor Nancy.
Yep, "tooting our own horn" WORKS ! :hatparty: :hatparty: :hatparty:
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Nurses, Thank You for all your do! :hatparty: 
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