Did you realize that today through Sunday is NATIONAL NURSES WEEK? WGNS says THANK YOU to all of the nurses and nurse practitioners who improve the quality of life in our community!

U.S. News & World Report celebrated nursing (specifically the roles of nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and registered nurse) as a top profession of 2019. Forbes echoed that sentiment by ranking registered nurse one of the top 10 positions in the healthcare industry. Glassdoor.com listed nursing manager and nurse practitioner as two of "America's Best Jobs for 2019."

In honor of National Nurses Week, we paused to interview some of our Ascension Saint Thomas nurses about their positions. From May 6th - 12th, we'll be sharing snippets of our conversations with a few of our more than 3,500 nurses. Knowing that it's the time of year when soon-to-be grads everywhere are considering their career trajectories, we asked our RNs to share advice for students interested in nursing. We've included their answers below:

Samantha Straton, Chief Nursing Officer, RN, BSN: "Nurses are required to manage a variety of competing priorities when caring for patients and their families. Working to ensure the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of those we serve in the fast-paced, rapidly changing healthcare environment can be extremely challenging at times. It is a wonderful career choice and the opportunities are endless as a professional nurse."

Jennifer T. Harris, Nursing Manager, RN, BSN: "Nursing is tough! You must be adaptable and resilient. Ask questions and be willing to answer questions. Be a team player; your team can make a huge difference in how the shift goes regardless of how many patients you have."

Grace Lee, RN, MS: "Do it! There will certainly be times where you will think, why did I get myself into this profession? But each milestone of nursing you take will expose you to some amazing opportunities and even more, some amazing people! The nursing field is truly limitless on growth opportunities. There are always ways to bring your passions and past experiences into the field. All while helping patients!"

Madison Newman, RN: "Nursing is hard. There will be difficult, hectic days. Not everyone will want your help or even want to be there, but keep pressing on. The bigger picture is that, despite not feeling like you accomplished anything that shift, you had an impact."