National Nurse Practitioner Appreciation Week is Nov. 7-13, 2021

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) sponsors National Nurse Practitioner Week annually in Savannah and across the country to celebrate these exceptional health care providers. The week also serves to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers to practice so nurse practitioners (NPs), also known as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) will be allowed to provide patient care to the full extent of their experience and education. This year, Nurse Practitioner Appreciation Week is Nov. 7-13, 2021, and the theme is “Going the Extra Mile”. Governors across the country have been asked to officially proclaim National Nurse Practitioner Appreciation Week, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was the first to do so.

“Nurse Practitioners are healthcare professionals who have earned masters or doctorate degrees, and who practice as certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse-midwives,” said Michelle Nelson, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, president of United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (UAPRN) of Georgia. “I can’t think of a more appropriate theme for this year’s Nurse Practitioner Apreciation Week than ‘Going the Extra Mile’, which honors the extroadinary challenges we have faced and the tremendous effort Advanced Practice Registered Nurses have put into patient care during the COVID pandemic. As part of Nurse Practitioner Appreciation Week, NAPRN of Georgia is offering a series of virtual programs and lectures on a variety of healthcare subjects, a legislative update and a 10 percent discount on new memberships. To honor all APRNs, AANP is inviting patients to submit testimonials, videos and photos thanking Nurse Practitioners for going the extra mile and making a positive difference in the lives of their patients, colleagues and community. Testimonials may be submitted at www.aanp.org.

“We are proud that Georgia was the first state to officially proclaim 2021 Nurse Practitioner Appreciation Week,” Dr. Nelson continued. “UAPRN worked with Georgia lawmakers to pass Georgia Senate Bill 321 which allows APRNs to order routine advanced radiographic imaging tests and removes several barriers for Georgia’s Physician Associates. It passed both Georgia legislative bodies and was signed into law by Governor Kemp late last year.”

According to AANP, more than 325,000 NPs provide a wide range of care to America’s patients in more than 1 billion visits annually. These health care professionals practice in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, nursing homes and private practices. NPs assess patients, order and interpret tests, make diagnoses and provide treatment, including prescribing medications. As clinicians who blend clinical expertise with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs are the health care provider of choice for millions of Americans.

Georgia has a robust community of Advanced Practice Nurses, many of whom are members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (www.aanp.org), United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (www.uaprnofga.org) and Georgia’s Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses (www.caprn.org). Dr. Nelson, director of Masters programs at Clayton State University and current president of UAPRN of Georgia, was recently inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a Fellow, one of the highest honors a nurse can receive.

UAPRN of Georgia presents a Healthcare Summit each year, although the 2021 Summit was postponed to May 13-14, 2022 due to a concern for the health and safety of attendees, speakers and guests, and the continued strain on healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual event is designed for nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, physician associates, lab technicians, occupational and physical therapists and other healthcare professionals who want to learn new skills and hear presentations on the latest topics and legislative efforts affecting the medical profession in Georgia. There is also content for healthcare students, including undergraduate and graduate students.