Celebrating National Nurses Week 2023

Dear Howard University Community,

It is somewhat fitting for me that National Nurses Week tends to transpire around Mother’s Day each year, because my very understanding of the medical profession was developed by my mother, herself a nurse for 51 years.

Without question, nursing requires proficiency in various technical skills, from checking a patient’s vital signs to remaining current with the ever-evolving technology introduced in the healthcare space. Yet it is the interpersonal, the “soft skills” that separate the good from the outstanding – the capacity to care, communicate, and comfort when necessary. Day in and day out, I watched my mother provide an incredible standard of care to her patients all while remaining attentive to my own complications from my sickle cell disease. As I decided to pursue a career in medicine, I measured myself against her benchmarks foremost, because I still believe her intentionality is what made the most profound difference to the individuals under her care.

My admiration for our nurses only continues to grow, buoyed by my daily interactions with our nursing staff at the Howard University Hospital and our brilliant students at the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. I can attest to how impactful the nurses on Howard’s campus have been since my childhood, when the nurses at the University’s Center for Sickle Cell Disease helped me better understand my ailment and how to care for myself. Our university, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a whole, have played a critical function in educating and training nurses from underrepresented communities, many of whom continue to make significant societal contributions.

We would be remiss if we failed to acknowledge and congratulate this year’s graduates from the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. You are entering this most indispensable profession as the world continues to develop its new normal. While we grapple with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to make our healthcare system more equitable for everyone, you stand uniquely positioned to change the industry in your image and for the betterment of our communities. We are grateful for the career you have chosen and the good you will do for those most in need.

Once again, let us take this moment at the start of this year’s National Nurses Week to appreciate our nurses, a foundational pillar of our society. We pay tribute to these caregivers and the instrumental role they play in our collective health and wellness. As medical professionals worldwide struggle with weariness and burnout, commemorative occasions like these can also serve as a stark reminder of how disparities in healthcare disproportionately affect people at our distinct intersections, and the outsized importance of nurses in improving this space and this planet for us all.

Excellence in Truth and Service,

Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA
Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery
President