The significance of Nightingale’s work during the Crimean War modernized the trajectory of nursing. So much of the work of “The Lady with the Lamp” parallels the attributes of a great emergency care provider. Historically she has been described as a tireless and diligent front-line worker in austere environments, intimately involved in direct care of patients, many being soldiers afflicted by traumatic and emergent conditions and life-threatening infections. Other historians describe Nightingale’s efforts in facilitating and leading interdisciplinary team dynamics. She is described as smart, powerful, brave, and an assertive leader…such are the attributes of an incredible advanced emergency nurse. She brought respect to a job once considered acceptable only for women of lowest societal status, catapulting nursing to the most trusted profession in the United States for recent decades, growing in diversity and social influence.

I cannot help but ask myself if we as Emergency NPs recognize, bolster and celebrate our professional colleagues EVERY day? There are so many opportunities to elevate, support and promote Emergency NPs on the job and beyond. Just like Florence, we should boldly advocate for safe health care. This can be achieved by becoming active in Health Policy and Advocacy initiatives. I challenge every Emergency Nurse Practitioner to be more like the Mother of Nursing. Take a stand, be the voice for emergency patients and professional colleagues. Be proactive in representing our profession to legislators within state and national platforms. Monitor legislation with potential to impact patient access to care to improve outcomes and our professional emergency practice. Petition for recognition and reimbursement of ENPs. If you see something – say something. If we gather together as a specialty and embrace similar causes with our interdisciplinary colleagues and like-minded constituents, we become stronger in numbers and our voice is louder and better recognized. I hope you will join me to make a firmer commitment to intentional actions that elevate our profession and make health care better for all!

Melanie Gibbons Hallman, DNP, CRNP, CNS, FAEN, FAANP, FAAN

President, American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners