Nov 22, 2011
Web feature 

Nurse Practitioner Week 2011:  A Huge Success! 

Thanks to AANP members and NPs across the country, National Nurse Practitioner Week was a great success!  Celebrated November 13 – 19, 2011, National Nurse Practitioner Week honors the important work that NPs do throughout the year, as well as the critical role they play solving the primary care shortage in today’s healthcare system.  

This year, AANP’s online toolkit helped nurse practitioners plan activities raising awareness among lawmakers and the public about the role of NPs and the benefits of choosing NPs as their healthcare provider. Nurse practitioners everywhere took up the call and got the word out! 

• Making the national headlines, nurse practitioners representing AANP took part in the audience at the Today Show on Tuesday, November 15.  Three New York NPs – Esther Brill, Joy Elwell (AANP Region 2 Director) and Peg O'Donnell (AANP Southern New York State Rep) – held signs promoting NP Week and facts about nurse practitioners.  They even spoke with Today Show co-anchor, Ann Curry, about how NPs provide more than 148,000 solutions to the primary healthcare shortage.   
  
  “It was a great experience and a perfect way to spread the word about the incredible work of nurse practitioners across the country,” said Elwell.
  
     
  
  
     
         
  
     
  
  
• The Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners Richmond Region membership had a proclamation signed by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell recognizing NP Week and all NPs of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  
                
  
  
   
• Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price congratulated Texas nurse practitioners Shelagh Larson, Paula Vastine and AANP Texas State Representative Jan Lamarche Zdanuk on the official Fort Worth National Nurse Practitioner Week proclamation. 
  
                  
  
  
  
  
• In Santa Fe, TX, Mayor Raphel Stenzel signed an NP Week proclamation with encouragement from Doris DeVries  of the Galveston Coalition of Advance Practice Nurses and AANP Region 6 Director Rosie Morales  
  
                  
   
  
  
  
• The Greater Memphis Advanced Practice Nurses had an event with prizes for fun categories such as youngest NP, NP in their position the longest and NP that switched jobs the most, according to AANP member Brett Badgley Snodgrass.
  
  
• Shelley Hicks commented on the AANP Facebook page that she worked all week at the long-term care facility where she is employed.  She was treated to lunch and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
  
  “No better way to spend NP week!” she wrote.
  
  
• AANP Utah State Representative Lee Mossobtained NP Week proclamations from Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker as well as a public signing by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. His organization, the University of Utah NPs, hosted an NP Week celebration dinner and awards ceremony.
  
  
• The UMKC School of Nursing recognized National NP Week with a series of events, including a reception.
  
  
• Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a proclamation honoring Nurse Practitioner Week.
  
                       

• Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed an NP Week proclamation that was presented to the Massachusetts Council of Nurse Practitioners in a public ceremony at the State House.
  
  
  
• Lakeland, Georgia Mayor Bill Darsey signed a proclamation in honor of National NP Week with the support and encouragement of NPs from Valdosta State University.

Congratulations to all the NPs who put in the hard work, time and effort to make these celebrations possible.  AANP salutes your dedication to raising awareness about nurse practitioners across the nation.  Many thanks for making National NP Week 2011 the best one yet.

Do you have an NP Week story to share?  We’d love to hear it!  Please write us at membership@aanp.org or post a comment on our Facebook page (facebook.com/AmericanAcademyofNPs).