Scottsbluff, Neb., – Regional West Health Services will join hospitals throughout the country in observing National Nurses Week May 6 to 12. Nurses Week activities raise awareness of the value of nursing while celebrating the dedication and skill of nurses everywhere. Regional West’s celebration kicks off Wednesday, May 6 with a number of activities at the hospital’s Platte Valley Companies’ Sorensen Education Center.

Nursing residency graduation takes place at noon, and from 1 to 3 p.m. all hospital employees are invited to enjoy a free brownie sundae and say thank you to nurses for all that they do. Area vendors will provide information, new scrub samples, and products for sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  From 5 to 7 p.m., Scottsbluff Mayor Randy Meininger will present a proclamation in honor of National Nurses Week, and a number of students will give presentations. The Movie Premiere-themed evening also includes complimentary massage, foot treatments, and movie-themed snacks and treats, organized and sponsored by the Nebraska Nurses Association District V. All area nurses are welcome to attend.

As another feature of National Nurses Week, the movie “The American Nurse” will show at noon and again at 7 p.m. at Scottsbluff’s Monument Mall Carmike Cinema, with a moderated panel discussion immediately following the last showing. Sponsored by Regional West Medical Center, The Nebraska Action Coalition, The Nebraska Nurses Association, and The Nebraska Organization of Nurse Leaders, the movie documents the work and lives of five nurses who are in the front lines of some of the biggest issues facing America: aging, war, poverty, and prisons.

“As nurses, we tend to get so busy caring for others that we forget to care for ourselves,” said Kim Smith, BSN, RN, a Regional West nurse who also serves as president of Nebraska Nurses Association District V. “That is why having an evening for area nurses to take a moment for themselves is so important.”

The first National Nurses Week was observed in October 1954, which marked the 100^th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. In 1974, President Richard Nixon issued a proclamation designating National Nurses Week to be observed annually from May 6 to 12. May 6 is known as National Nurses Day and May 12 is the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. The trauma program includes Air Link air ambulance service, which is fully accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.