As America begins emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, now is a great time to recognize the nearly 4 million nurse heroes who have worked with care and courage under difficult circumstances.
SCA Pharma is proud to honor these essential front-line providers during National Nurses Month.
“Nurses have served valiantly at the very epicenter of this global pandemic,” said Milton Boyer, CEO. “America’s entire health-care system depends upon the expertise, knowledge and compassion that nurses bring to their roles every day, and we truly are grateful for their service and dedication.”
Nurses have topped other professionals in the Gallup Poll’s Honesty and Ethics list in all but one year since they were added in 1999. Last year, they earned a record 89% very high / high score, 4 percentage points above their previous high mark set in 1999. (The exception for nurses came in 2001 shortly after 9/11, when firefighters took the top spot.)
Here are some fast facts about America’s nurses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- There are 3,957,661 actively licensed registered nurses (RNs) in the United States.
- Some 2.7 million of them work directly with patients, most frequently providing subacute inpatient care or outpatient care.
- There are about 176,000 new job openings for registered nurses each year.
- Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 7 percent between now and 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. The growth is being driven by an aging population as well as an increase in chronic conditions, such as obesity and diabetes.
What previously was a week-long recognition of nurses was extended to a month in 2020 by The ANA Enterprise, which consists of the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation.
These groups chose May for recognizing nurses in honor of Florence Nightingale’s May 12 birthday. Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing.
