Nurses play a vital role in the well-being of patients both young and old, and they are especially helpful to residents at senior living facilities. By helping with tasks such as medication management and activities of daily living, as well as offering companionship, nurses are more than worthy of recognition. So it should come as no surprise that residents at Sunrise of Lynn Valley celebrated National Nurses Week by honoring not only the nurses who work there, but the retired ones who live there.

The celebration began by recognizing each nurse individually - eight residents were retired nurses and there were nine nurses on staff - by presenting them with handcrafted nurses' caps created by the Reminiscence Neighborhood team members. Later, as executive director Gail Chapelsky read off each nurse's name, they all received a bouquet of beautiful tulips. The honorees were also given an opportunity to speak about their experiences as nurses, which offered insight into how rewarding the profession truly is. Chapelsky also read the poem "The Calling" by Edwin C. Hoffert, which speaks to the compassion that drives many nurses to their career choices.

Of course, it wouldn't be a celebration at Sunrise without delicious cuisine created by the retirement community's talented chefs, and the recognition of National Nurses Week was no different. The event featured everything from fresh fruit and canapés to petit-fours and fresh fruit smoothies.

National Nurses Week, which runs from May 6 through May 12, has been observed each year since 1994 and coincides with Florence Nightingale's birthday, according to the American Nurses Association. That doesn't mean this is the only time nurses should be honored, and there are ways to support the noble profession all throughout the year. For instance, sponsoring community-wide events such as poem writing contests, health fairs and preventative screenings is a great way to demonstrate how valued nurses are in everyday life.