Oaklawn's staff receives tasty thank-you as National Nurses Week begins

MARSHALL – It’s no mean feat to put on a cookout for several hundred people, but it doesn’t seem much like work when you’re honoring someone special.

National Nurses Week will be observed May 6 through 12, beginning with a day that marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

“Nurses make up the collective heart of Oaklawn Hospital’s health-care team,” said Theresa Dawson, the hospital’s chief nursing officer. “They’re very special to us, and that’s why we wanted to give them something.”

So, one event being planned during the week is a special hotdog cookout Monday for the hundreds of nurses and other Oaklawn staff who tend to patients’ needs at the hospital each day.

“It’s a time for getting together and enjoying each other’s company,” said Dawson. “It’s a sign of goodwill because nursing is a giving profession. We certainly wouldn’t be able to do what we do without everyone else in this organization. So we give back.”

Other activities during the week will include a web-based specialized training exercise for the nursing staff.

“If you happen to be visiting Oaklawn during this time,” Dawson said, “we hope you’ll stop for a moment, say hello and thank our wonderful nurses for all the great things they do each and every day.”

National Nurses Week will be followed by National Hospital Week (May 10-16), which is sponsored by the American Hospital Association.