Nurses Make a Difference
5/6/2022
Following a hospital stay, nearly every patient has a story about a special caregiver: their comforting touch, their listening ear, their warm smile or their ability to remember the name of a grandchild or a favorite pet. Nurses play an important role as caregivers and have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their patients each and every day.
More than 3.1 million registered nurses help to save lives and maintain the health of people around the country. At Merit Health Biloxi, they are an integral part of keeping the Mississippi Gulf Coast healthy. Ancillary nursing staff are also key to providing safe, quality care by assisting the nurses both behind the scenes and at the bedside.
National Nurses Week is a time set aside to highlight the many ways that nurses work to improve health care. The annual recognition, sponsored by the American Nurses Association, is timed to coincide with National Nurses Day, May 6, and the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is known as the “founder of modern nursing.”
“Nurses are remarkable people,” says Rachael Williams, the chief nursing officer of Merit Health Biloxi. “They have a passion for caring, and a commitment to quality and patient safety. They work tirelessly to ensure that our patients’ needs are met, and seldom get the recognition they deserve. They want to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Paulette Averhart, RN, has been a nurse in the nursery at Merit Health Biloxi for 37 years. Her mother also worked in healthcare and was her inspiration for becoming a nurse. “It is a privilege to witness those very intimate moments in the life of a patient and their family and give them support and care that they need, or to help them celebrate joyful occasions, such as the birth of a child.”
During National Nurses Week, nurses at Merit Health Biloxi will be honored by a Nurses Day breakfast, a special thank you video from the directors of numerous departments as well as the chief nursing officer, a banner in the front entrance, gifts and free drinks in the cafeteria.
Back