Newswise — Loyola University Health System (LUHS) will celebrate Nurses Week on May 5-9. This event takes place each year just prior to May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The theme for the week is “A Leading Force for Change."

“This week recognizes nurses for their leadership in the various ways they help patients, research, education or clinical care,” said Rose Lach, PhD, RN, administrative director for nursing, LUHS. “Nurses’ leadership skills in research, education and clinical care will become increasingly important in the changing health-care environment."

Loyola will recognize its nurses with a special lunch, complimentary chair massages, rounds from senior administrators and its long-standing tradition of blessing of the hands. Chaplains will anoint nurses' hands with oil and bless them for continuing to use their hands as instruments of service. A special film screening of “American Nursing Healing America” also will be held on Tuesday, May 6, at the main medical center campus.

Loyola nurses also will have an opportunity to receive complimentary chair massages from the Loyola Center for Fitness.

A Nursing Excellence awards ceremony will honor top Loyola nurses later in the week. The event will take place 4:30-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, in Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) Tobin Hall. The awards ceremony also will recognize nurses who have achieved clinical ladder levels three and four, demonstrating professional growth and development. A reception will follow.

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