Author: Edward J. Gabriel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

This week, we celebrate National Nurses Week. Nurses are the largest profession in health care today. There are over 3.1 million passionate Registered Nurses who provide highly skilled, safe, and quality care in a variety of settings in communities across our nation.

Nurses work in hospitals, emergency rooms, school based clinics, long-term care facilities, and provide advice and guidance through triage call centers. Nurses provide clinical services, behavioral health support, health education and promotion. The nursing profession continues to expand in scope and practice as communities put increased trust in their skills. It is both an art and a science that is vital to meeting the healthcare needs of the American people and maintaining the healthcare enterprise.

In emergency response, we clearly see this year’s National Nurses Week theme is “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care” play out. Nursing professionals play an essential role in improving patient outcomes, increasing access, coordinating care, and reducing health care costs. These day-to-day improvements can make a tremendous difference in people’s health and safety during emergency. That’s why we at ASPR also strive to improve our health systems and develop innovations for improved patient outcomes – because we know communities respond with the systems they have in place at the time. Those systems have to be ready and able to respond.

Nurses serve people in the toughest of times. During disasters as diverse as Hurricane Sandy, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and the flooding in the Midwest, nurses worked around the clock to make sure people get the care they need when every minute counts.

On behalf of ASPR, I would like to thank all nurses for their continued service and dedication to the health and well being of all Americans, particularly in during disasters and emergencies.