Weeklong Celebration to Spotlight Health Care Heroes: Nephrology Nurses

The American Nephrology Nurses' Association LONG ISLAND CHAPTER invites hospitals, dialysis facilities and others to honor nurses during 'Nephrology Nurses Week'. www.annanurse.org/NNW

Long Island Chapter #122 of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) will join a nationwide celebration honoring nephrology nurses during “Nephrology Nurses Week,” September 13-19th, 2020.

Nephrology nurses care for patients with kidney disease and provide lifesaving care each day. To honor their passion and commitment, ANNA has designated the second full week in September each year as Nephrology Nurses Week. This year, Long Island Chapter #122 will mark the event with activities recognizing and rewarding nephrology nurses.

Nephrology nurses use their vision, knowledge, and skills to take action and improve patient outcomes. They make a positive difference in the lives of patients and their families every day.  Caring for kidney patients requires nurses to be highly skilled, well educated, and motivated, and nephrology nurses cite the variety and challenges of the specialty as fueling their ongoing passion.

“Nephrology nurses are unique in multiple ways, the relationships they share with their patients as well as the lens in which they see hemodynamics,” said Faith Lynch, MSN, RN- Chapter President. “With the COVID 19 pandemic we are known as the underdogs.  This is the year of nurse but really, it is the year of the nephrology nurse as well.  Nephrology nurses week should be celebrated by all units both inpatient and outpatient as everyone has and is still working extremely hard during these difficult times to make sure our patient population is getting the care they need.  I hope everyone celebrates and all employers show their appreciation to their nurses for all the exceptional quality patient care they give day in and day out”.

ANNA launched Nephrology Nurses Week in 2005 to give employers, patients and others an opportunity to thank nephrology nurses for their life-saving work. In addition, ANNA also hopes to spark interest in other nurses about the multifaceted career opportunities available in nephrology. One of the most diverse nursing specialties practiced today, nephrology nurses care for patients of all ages who have, or are at risk for, kidney disease.

About 30 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic kidney disease. The rising number of individuals with kidney disease, many of whom are minorities, is in part attributed to the country’s obesity epidemic, an alarming trend that has led to more cases of diabetes and high blood pressure. Both of these diseases are major contributors to kidney failure.

More information about the work of nephrology nurses, the Nephrology Nurses Week celebration, and products promoting the event is available at www.annanurse.org/NNW (888-600-2662; anna@annanurse.org).

If you have any type of celebration, please send your pictures to annachapter122longisland@gmail.com to be featured in our section in future versions of the ANNA update as well as on our website.