Emergency nurses serve us all

They greet us in triage or at the side of a stretcher to assess and treat our injuries and illnesses. They offer a blanket and comforting words as we sit beside our loved ones, worried about what will happen next.

Emergency nurses possess unique clinical expertise, as well as the critical thinking skills, strength, compassion and adaptability to respond to unpredictable demands in a department where no one is denied care.

Emergency nurses are front-line clinicians. They are also educators, teaching the next generation of nurses. They are researchers, developing evidence-based best practices and insight into diverse patient populations and medical presentations. They are leaders who improve workplaces and strengthen teams. They are advocates who use their voices in legislatures to effect change.

I want to express my gratitude to emergency nurses everywhere for treating anyone who enters an emergency department with expert care, compassion and dignity. Their work helps guarantee equal access to affordable, comprehensive high-quality emergency care for everyone.

Throughout Emergency Nurses Week, which starts Sunday and runs through Oct. 17, I encourage everyone to thank an emergency department nurse, not only for the care they provided you or a loved one but also for their role in making communities healthier and safer.

Dustin Bass, president, Emergency Nurses Association, Schaumburg