nurses week is may 6-12“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

May 6-12 is National Nurses Week. 

This week is a celebration of nurses and the nursing profession. This year, it feels like an especially momentous one. 

Nurses have carried us through this pandemic, especially here at the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing and at UCI Health. From the early days of March 2020 until now, nurses have been a steady, guiding force that has provided us with reassurance during uncertain times. 

Pushing past their own worries, concerns and lack of sleep, our nurses bravely faced risks to ensure patients were well cared for. Because those patients were often lonely due to visitor restrictions, our nurses were their emotional support, as well. 

UCI nurse leaders helped coordinate COVID-19 testing, dispensing tens of thousands of both to Orange County residents. They called every resident who had a positive result and answered their questions — even on holidays and weekends. When it came time to administer vaccines, our nurses were there.

Nursing scientists and researchers created systems that impact patient care, examined the pandemic’s impact on our mental health, and gained new insights into infectious disease transmission

Our nurses displayed the greatest of qualities, including: resilience, selflessness, brilliance, leadership, compassion and fearlessness.

My deepest thanks and admiration goes out to my fellow nurses this week and always.

Adey Nyamathi
Founding Dean and Distinguished Professor