Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/819789
IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL NURSING WEEK, the CLPNM would like to recognize the dedication and contribution LPNs make to the health and wellness of all Manitobans. The CLPNM is the regulatory body that governs the practice of student practical nurses, graduate practical nurses, and licensed practical nurses in Manitoba. A S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S | T H U R S D AY , M AY 4 , 2 0 1 7 | V I E W O N L I N E A T w i n n i p e g f r e e p r e s s . c o m / p u b l i c a t i o n s NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2017 MAY 8-14, 2017 cna-aiic.ca Unexpected places. Real Impact. #YESThisIsNursing I t's truly a team effort to provide health care, and nurses are essential to the success of the entire system. National Nursing Week is held each year during the week of May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is credited as being the founder of the nursing profession. The week offers an opportunity to take a moment to celebrate — and to thank — the nurses who are on the front lines of care during every stage of our lives, literally from the day we're born until the day we die. The national theme for 2017 is #YESThisIsNursing – a hashtag that acknowledges the growing role of technology in nursing, and promotes opportunities to inform and educate the general public through social media. Check your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram this week. You just might learn something. EXPANDING SCOPE OF PRACTICE The role nurses play in the health-care system is constantly growing and evolving. Katherine Stansfield, executive director of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, outlines the difference between registered nurses and nurse practitioners, which both fall under the oversight of the college. Anyone who aspires to become a registered nurse will need to take four years of baccalaureate education, followed by an entry-level exam. Nurse practitioners continue their education to complete a master's program in nursing in preparation for their specific role. Once they pass their exam and register with the college, nurse practitioners can work within an expanded scope of practice. They may prescribe medications, diagnose and treat patients, order diagnostic tests, and essentially fill the role of a primary care provider. "Nurse practitioners provide a very comprehensive first level of health care that most of us need for the whole course of our lives. Very few of us actually have CELEBRATING A CARING PROFESSION NURSES PLAY A CENTRAL — AND EVER-EXPANDING — ROLE IN OUR HEALTH SYSTEM By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press Continued >>