Penn State Health celebrates National Nurses Week May 6-12

Nancy Ochieng, a registered nurse at Hershey Medical Center, dances her way to the main entrance during the kickoff of Nurses Week 2021.

A word of affirmation, a comforting smile, a squeeze of the hand. They may be small gestures, but for a weary patient who feels helpless and alone, they offer big encouragement.

This week, during National Nurses Week, Penn State Health salutes the caring bedside manner—and the technical knowledge and medical expertise—that our nurses extend to their patients, and we say thank you for representing Penn State Health so well.

“Your incredible skills, compassion, conviction and bravery during the past two years give you superhero status,” Penn State Health chief nursing officers said in a joint message.

“Every day, Penn State Health leaders receive thank you messages from patients and families who are eternally grateful for our nurses in every care setting. These are words of gratitude about the lives you have touched and acts of caring, kindness and respect that you may not even remember. But they do.”

In celebration of National Nurses Week, which begins Friday and ends on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12, Penn State Health has organized many special events to honor our nurses who have given extraordinary care during yet another extraordinary year.

From breakfast, luncheons and gratitude carts to cake competitions, yoga and mobile recognitions, activities across the health system send a message of thanks to its nurses for their compassionate care and expertise all year long.

Many events are also joined with the upcoming celebration of National Hospital Week, May 8-14, and are open to all inpatient and outpatient employees.

See the event schedules for National Nurses Week and Hospital Week on the Infonet:

• Hampden Medical Center 
• Hershey Medical Center
• Holy Spirit Medical Center
• St. Joseph Medical Center

Thank a nurse

Download the Nurses Week selfie sign, take a selfie, write a message to a nurse and give it to them or consider posting it on social media. Be sure to tag Penn State Health in your posts to be featured on the health system’s pages.

Share your photos

Upload your Nurses Week photos to bit.ly/PSHPhoto.

If you're having trouble accessing this content, or would like it in another format, please email the Penn State College of Medicine web department.