Kaua‘i Health Care Heroes Honored During National Nurses Week

No matter what part they play, nurses are critical components of the medical facilities where they work — they are health care heroes.

Hawai‘i Pacific Health and its medical centers and clinics, including Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, know the importance of what nurses do everyday and are honoring them during National Nurses Week, which runs May 6-12.

“Nurses are remarkable individuals,” Ray Vara, Hawai‘i Pacific Health president and CEO, said in a press release. “They are dedicated, resilient and compassionate care providers. They are on the front lines daily, caring for our patients, comforting families and supporting each other.”

Each Hawai‘i Pacific Health medical facility is observing National Nurses Week and honoring their nurses with special events and awards for patient care, leadership, continuing education and community service — offering a small token of thanks for the important roles nurses play.

“Whether it’s at patients’ bedsides or in clinical education or administrative positions, our nurses serve crucial roles in providing high-quality care to our patients and helping us create a healthier Hawai‘i,” Vara added in the release.

More than 1,600 registered nurses provide direct patient care at Hawai‘i Pacific Health medical centers and neighborhood clinics statewide. In addition, nearly 400 registered nurses serve in administrative, clinical and educator roles throughout the Hawai‘i Pacific Health network to ensure consistent excellence of health care.

“The dedicated people who pursue this career must possess great technical, academic and practical knowledge,” Amy Thomas, system chief nurse executive and director of clinical education, employee health and workers’ compensation, said in the press release. “Our nurses strive to exceed the highest standards of clinical care every day.”

National Nurses Week is observed the same week each year. It not only serves as a way to say thank you to nurses for their commitment to the health and care of patients, it also honors the woman largely recognized as the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, who was born May 12, 1820.