In honor of National Nurses Week, May 6-12, Washington County Hospital will recognize two of its nurses as Professional Nurses of the Year.  The hospital will hold its annual Nurses Tea to announce the nurse excellence awards on Monday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. in the hospital cafeteria. These awards are given annually to a clinical nurse and administrative nurse who best exemplify the outstanding qualities of a professional nurse.

Nurses are nominated and selected for the awards based on their contributions to their area of expertise, their professionalism, and their education. The awardees for Clinical Nurse of the Year and the Administrative Nurse of the Year are not announced until the ceremony. During the ceremony, hospital administrators and members of the board of directors will recognize the contributions made by all the nursing staff. 

National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. There are nearly 2.7 million registered nurses in the United States. As of November 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than one million new nurses will be needed by 2010.