VA Hosts Annual Nurses Week Blessing of the Hands
Tuesday, May 9th, 2023
On May 8th, the Dublin VA honored its nurses during National Nurses Week with a “Blessing of the Hands” ceremony held in its chapel and virtually.
Themed “VA Nurses Making a Difference,” the event was co-sponsored by VA’s Nursing and Chaplain Services. The ceremony included reflections by VA chaplains Dr. Rodney Lindsay and Carl Bryant on the nobility of the nursing profession as well as a meditation on the “Blessing of the Hands” that touch veterans both physically and symbolically. Bryant welcomed those assembled and praised VA nurses and nurses everywhere for their compassion and dedication to the service of others.
“There are none more blessed than those who care for others, for you cure and comfort,” Bryant said.
The ceremony—and all other 2023 VA Nurses Week events—was dedicated to the memory of U.S. Army Nursing Corps 2nd Lt. Meta Phillips Monteleon, a World War II veteran and longtime resident of the Dublin VA who passed recently at age 108, and other VA nurses, including retired staff, who died since the 2022 ceremony.
Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS) Dr. Pam Jackson, the Dublin VA’s top nurse, addressed those gathered, affirming the critical importance of dedicated nurses for VA’s success. A tearful Jackson thanked nurses at VA and in the nursing profession around the world for their compassionate care.
“Despite all the challenges that you face, whether long hours, being short-handed, or COVID-19, you persevere and honor the nursing profession and our veterans. I love you all and couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of you,” Jackson said.
Jackson noted that the medical center’s nurse recruiter and coordinator of the ceremony, noted that the Dublin VA employs approximately 600 nurses in a variety of positions from certified nurse assistants to advanced practice nurses.
Deputy ADPCS Annette Couchenour led attendees in a recitation of the litany followed by presentations by Shaqueena Carter and Stephanie Pelham honoring the gathered nurses and nurses around the world. A musical interlude was provided by Heather Prunty and Dr. Teresa Mosley led the reciting of the Nightingale Pledge, named after the legendary Florence Nightingale, renowned for establishing nursing as a profession. After, VA chaplains Constance Arthur, Bryant, and Lindsay invited the assembled nurses to come forward and have their hands blessed.
In its healthcare system, the VA employs approximately 90,000 nurses who provide veterans with healthcare services across a continuum that includes acute and chronic conditions in hospital, ambulatory, and skilled nursing settings. VA nurses are integrally involved in the greater federal, national, and international communities of nursing, advocating for informed nursing practice so they can constantly improve nursing care for the nation’s heroes.
National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and finishes on May 12 each year to coincide with Florence Nightingale's birthday. Supported by the American Nurses Association, the observance celebrates nurses and their roles in society and educates the public about the kind of work nurses do and helps to raise awareness about nursing as a possible career choice.
