Week gives chance to honor our nurses

National Nurses Week (May 6 to 12) gave us an opportunity to extend our gratitude to the nursing professionals in our lives.

We do this by honoring the nurses who have cared for us and those we love, and the pioneers of the field whose tireless work built the profession. The week also gives us a chance to gaze aspiringly to the future of nursing.

In my position as the director of development for the University of Iowa College of Nursing, I'm reminded every day of how bright that future is.

Recently, the college received a gift commitment from UI alumni Suzanne and William Ammerman that will facilitate the purchase of a new birthing simulator for the Nursing Clinical Education Center.

This cutting-edge educational tool will help prepare students and clinical teams to respond to emergencies requiring rapid response, technical skills, teamwork, and communication.

The Ammermans' gift - and contributions from countless other supporters - bolsters the outstanding work being done in the college and puts the best resources at the fingertips of tomorrow's nursing leaders.

Well-prepared nurses are the key to better outcomes for patients. With the help of our many supporters, the UI College of Nursing will ensure that 'Iowa nurses” remain the touchstone for critical-thinking skills, clinical decision-making abilities, innovation and professional nursing values and ethics.

For information about how private support helps the college prepare the nurses of tomorrow and improve patient outcomes, visit www.uifoundation.org/nursing.

Dayna Ballantyne

University of Iowa Foundation

Iowa City