Welcome to 2020: The Year of the Nurse

From Kelly Hancock, DNP, RN, NE-BC, FAAN

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Nursing caregivers across the globe are ringing in the New Year with added pride and promise this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared 2020, “The Year of the Nurse and Midwife.”

Recognizing that nurses are the ‘bridge of healthcare,’ connecting patients and communities with today’s complex healthcare system, the WHO is spearheading The Year of the Nurse and Midwife as part of a larger WHO initiative to help bring more adequate healthcare to everyone, everywhere.

As noted by WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the role of nursing will be further amplified and promoted in 2020 – which also happens to be the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, who is often referred to as the founder of modern nursing.

In honor and celebration

Throughout 2020, nursing and healthcare organizations will focus on celebrating the nursing profession and advancing nurses’ vital position in the transformation of global healthcare.

For example, the American Nurses Association Enterprise (American Nurses Association, American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Nurses Foundation) announced its promotion of Year of the Nurse, stating it will be encouraging inclusivity and participation of all nurses, including nurse midwives, in this landmark year of activities.

Through the theme, ‘Lead. Innovate. Excel.,’ the organization plans to engage with nurses, thought leaders and consumers to promote nursing excellence, infuse leadership and foster innovation. The ANA Enterprise says it is promoting Year of the Nurse because in the United States, nurses engage in a wide range of roles and specialties.

As one of the world’s leading global health systems, Cleveland Clinic offers more than 100 nursing specialties, allowing nursing caregivers to work in a variety of professional fields – from advanced practice nursing, ambulatory nursing and care management to behavioral health, medical-surgical, critical-care, pediatric, obstetric and oncology nursing – as well as in nursing quality, education, informatics, research and more.

Spotlights on nurse specialties

Among other efforts and activities, as part of Cleveland Clinic’s participation in the global Year of the Nurse, we will be highlighting a number of Cleveland Clinic Nursing roles and specialties throughout 2020.

In the past, we’ve featured highlights on:

Check back for our first Year of the Nurse Specialty Spotlight, which will publish later this month on certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). Happy Year of the Nurse!