National Nurse Practitioner Week Honors NP Role in Strengthening Patient Health Amid Backdrop of COVID-19 Pandemic, Year of the Nurse

The theme for this year’s celebration of NP Week is “NPs Moving Forward: Today. Tomorrow. Together.” The 2020 commemoration occurs as NPs combat COVID-19 and the nursing community celebrates the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the immeasurable impact nurse practitioners have on our community,” says Marsha Lewis, School of Nursing dean and professor. “I’d like to personally thank our School of Nursing NP faculty, students and alumni, along with nurse practitioners across the nation, for their dedication and contributions toward keeping our families, friends and neighbors well.”

NPs assess patients, order and interpret tests, make diagnoses and provide treatment, including prescribing medications. NPs practice in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, nursing homes and private practices across the country. As clinicians who blend clinical expertise with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs offer a comprehensive perspective to health care. They are the health care providers of choice for millions of people; they also fill the primary care gaps for those living in rural and medically underserved communities.

“Nurse Practitioners are playing a vital role shaping the future as we stand on the front lines of the COVID pandemic,” says Pam Paplham, School of Nursing assistant dean or MS/DNP programs. “It is amazing that our faculty and students not only continue to strive for academic excellence, but maintain caring passionately for our community through this challenging time.”

For more information about National Nurse Practitioner Week, visit aanp.org.