Brothers and Sisters,
Almost 3 million nurses in the United States dedicate their lives to helping others every year. The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) has the privilege of representing several thousand of them, working in Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service clinics throughout the country.
National Nurses Week gives us the unique opportunity to thank these dedicated women and men. Since 1998 National Nurses Week has kicked off on May 6, with National Nurses’ Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the foremother of modern nursing. These seven days of thanks are well deserved by those who often work long, thankless hours to ensure that the American people receive the highest quality care found anywhere in the world.
Nurses make endless contributions to their communities, particularly in our VA hospitals and IHS clinics. The impact nurses have on the lives of their patients is beyond measure. Their service to our wounded soldiers returning from overseas and to our diverse native populations is one of the most important aspects in building a healthy America, both at home and abroad.
On behalf of NFFE, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our sisters and brothers working in the VA and IHS, and to all the nursing professionals who make a difference in people’s lives every day.
Fraternally,
William R. Dougan
National President