The Nurses Week theme this year as set by the ANA, “4 Million Reasons to Celebrate,” points to our numbers. I appreciate the concept, but I’m not in love with this theme—I don’t think our numbers are what make us worth celebrating.

What really matters.

What we should celebrate is nurses’ continued commitment, day after day, to making people’s lives better. Sometimes, that takes effort that goes above and beyond. That’s the focus of my May editorial, “The Unwavering Courage of Nurses.” It’s also depicted in the May issue cover photo (for background, read “On the Cover“): nurses literally running for their lives and the lives of their patient, just ahead of flames from the deadliest fire in California’s history. And it’s what makes some Red Cross nurses so special: see this article by Debby Dailey and Linda MacIntyre (listen to the podcast of my conversation with the authors, too).

I think Nurses Week is important, not so much for the public who, judging by their votes in the most recent Gallup poll, already think highly of us (a good reminder for nurses’ employers to think about the value nurses bring). I think Nurses Week is especially important as a time for us to pause and reflect on the incredible work nurses do and how integral it is to society. We’re often the first face most people see when they seek health care; in hospitals, we’re a 24/7 presence and the final guard against errors. In the community and schools, we’re there too, offering our knowledge and working to improve lives.

Information aligned with current evidence.

At AJN, we work to make sure the information you need is aligned with current evidence; we’re sticklers for accuracy and precise wording. We fact-check everything. See for yourself—the entire May issue will be free for Nurses Week (May 6-12). Also, we made a special Nurses Week 2019 collection with the editors’ picks of their favorite articles over the years. That’s free, too.

We hope you have a good week and celebrate your work. We’d like to hear how you did that—let us know!