5 Reasons Why Nurses Are So Important

The theme of 2019 National Nurses Week is “Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.” We celebrate all nurses, especially our nurses, Julie and Donna. They are the heart of our personalized care programs! We thank them and all nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness.

Growing older can be hard for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. Having a balance between mind, body and spirit is important for all of us, especially for seniors. When one of these areas begins to diminish, the others areas suffer as well. We can thank nurses who are on the front lines of health care, working with older patients, for their diligent effort. Nurses will try to prevent illness, facilitate healing, alleviate suffering and advocate for their patients and families. Having a nurse available to provide care and comfort for a loved one can give family members a sense of relief.

Since nurses do so much to help improve the well-being of their patients, are there enough of them to handling an aging American population?

Here are some nursing statistics you may not know:

• More than 500,000 RNs (Registered Nurses) will retire by 2022, according to the American Nurses Association
• One million RNs are needed by 2022 to avoid a nursing shortage
• The need for RNs will grow by at least 11 percent each year through 2022
• Currently there are 1.5 million CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants) in the United States
• The need for CNAs will grow by 21 percent in the next decade

As you can see, there are millions of nurses in the United States today and millions more needed in the next 5 to 10 years. It is no coincidence that this growth is occurring at the same time as Baby Boomers reach their senior years. The services that nurses will provide to these seniors in hospitals, rehab facilities, adult day care centers like Naperville Senior Center Adult Day Services, assisted living and nursing facilities, and private homes could be the difference between a high versus low quality of life.

We want to be sure that our Members get the best care possible when they are with us, which is why we have physical therapists and nurses working at Naperville Senior Center. We have the BEST. NURSES. EVER!

Thanks to Donna, Julie, Tootz, and all of the nurses for their continued dedication to their patients

As our nurse Donna said, “The best part of being a nurse at Naperville Senior Center is assisting our Members’ healthy aging and quality of life. They are like family to us. We educate, support, and encourage them, and have fun together!” She added, “I go home with a smile every day and look forward to the next day, and I think our Members do too.”

We couldn’t agree more! Thank you to Donna, Julie, Tootz, and all of the nurses for their continued dedication to their patients.

We provide our Members with a host of activities to provide mental and physical stimulation, such as socialization, verbalization, improvisation, evangelization, visualization, exercise, and other fun activities.

Call to action: to learn more about how NSC can provide a respite for you and a great social environment for your loved one, contact us at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”