USA Health celebrating National Nurses Week 2022
Activities will range from a special blessing of the hands ceremony to laughter yoga – all in honor of the nurses at USA Health.
If there was ever a time to recognize those who provide compassionate care for our patients, it’s now. For National Nurses Week 2022, a variety of activities, events, and special treats have been planned to honor the nurses across USA Health.
Beginning Monday, May 9, and spanning Friday, May 13, Chaplain Kim Crawford-Meeks is making her way through our hospitals to perform a blessing of the hands, described as an employee appreciation ceremony. Meeks said she hopes to connect with as many nurses as possible throughout the week.
On May 13, Meeks also will lead participants through an activity known as laughter yoga. Participants will not need special pants or a mat for this research-backed stress-reduction class.
“Anyone can do this,” Meeks said. “We use breathing techniques, clapping and mindfulness exercises for stress reduction and coping. It's great fun, and we get those feel-good endorphins firing like the Fourth of July!”
Laughter yoga sessions will be available on May 11 at 1:45 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. in Conference Room C at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, on May 12 at 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. in the first-floor conference room at the Strada Patient Care Center, and on May 13 at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the first-floor multipurpose room at Children's & Women's Hospital.
Other activities planned this week include ice cream socials, pancake breakfasts on May 10 and 12 at both hospitals, specialty food trucks at some sites, T-shirts and other giveaways.
First celebrated in 1954, National Nurses Week honors the May 12 birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
