Ask a Nurse: Celebrating the Spirit of Care

Every year from May 6 to May 12, organizations across the country take time to honor the people who are truly at the heart of patient care: our nurses. National Nurses Week recognizes the vital role nurses play in the lives of patients, in community well-being, and in the overall health system.

At the Boca Grande Health Clinic, we know firsthand the extraordinary impact our nurses have on the lives of our patients. To celebrate this year, we asked our nursing team to describe each other in one word — a fun exercise that revealed just how much respect, affection, and camaraderie they share.

Here’s how they described one another:

Together, they form a team that is compassionate, skilled, and uniquely equipped to meet the needs of our community with grace and excellence.

“Every single patient who has been cared for by our nurses knows just how special they are,” says Mark Driscoll, Boca Grande Health Clinic CEO. “Their compassion, professionalism, and kindness are felt by everyone who walks through our doors. We’re proud to honor them this week — and grateful for them every day.”

Share Your Thanks

As Nurses Week draws to a close, we invite you to join us in thanking our incredible nursing team. Their dedication makes a difference in every smile, every appointment, and every act of care.

If a nurse has made a difference in your experience at the Clinic, we’d love to hear about it. You can share a few words of thanks or a favorite memory by submitting a tribute online at https://www.bghc.org/about/submit-a-tribute/. Every message reminds our team just how much they mean to the community they serve.

About National Nurses Week

The idea of honoring nurses formally began in 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare proposed a National Nurse Day. Although it wasn’t proclaimed at the time, momentum grew. In 1974, the White House officially designated a full week of recognition, ending on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale’s tireless work, particularly during the Crimean War, helped define the principles of nursing and elevate the profession’s critical role in health and healing.