Solar Eclipse

As I write this update for April, we are experiencing a rare phenomenon in the sky. A solar eclipse. This is so important because it does not happen too often in North America, and the location of the viewing areas this time around will include a large portion of the United States.  This means many people will be able to experience the total eclipse of the sun by the moon. The total time of the eclipse is only about four-and-a-half minutes, which is not very long. But the impact lasts much longer on those of us who will be able to view it. So, take a minute, or four, today to pause to marvel at this great universe. Consider the larger world around us and how the work we do as nurses plays a part in the greater good for all of those within this world.

For many nurses, we do what we are called to do — care for others. We do this not for the recognition or to be considered heroes, but that is what we are for so many. As nurses, we use our knowledge, critical thinking, and ability to holistically view a patient and anticipate what they will need next on their journey to wellness. Often, nurses will go above and beyond what others would do, and this is what sets us apart from other professions. In the coming months, we are going to partner with the DAISY Foundation to recognize the medical-surgical nurses who received DAISY Awards for their clinical care that impacted a patient or their family to nominate them for this award. I was lucky enough to hear Bonnie and Mark Barnes, the founders of the DAISY Award, speak recently, and even after 25 years you can hear the gratitude for nurses in their voices, which drives their work to this day.

Also, April is National Volunteer Month, and I would like to take this moment to thank all of the volunteers who work so diligently for AMSN on our many different projects throughout each year.  Each of our committees and task forces is made up of a group of volunteers from our AMSN membership, and a volunteer leader serves as committee chair. I would like to say thank you to the board of directors, present and past, who are volunteers as well. They serve to advocate for the future of the medical-surgical nurse and to advance medical-surgical nursing as a specialty. Thank you to each of you! We know it takes more than a village to run AMSN, and we need more volunteers each year to keep our programs up to speed in our ever-changing environment. Please consider working with us when the next call for volunteers takes place!