It’s National Nurses Week, a time set aside to raise public awareness of the value of nursing and to help educate the public about the vital roles registered nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the American people.

There are millions of nurses in the nation who provide highly skilled, safe and quality care in a variety of settings, and who encounter increased challenges to their professional and ethical commitment to deliver essential health care.

The theme for National Nurses Week is “Nurses: Many Roles One Profession.”

Although nurses historically have provided hands-on patient care at the bedside, nurses also are deeply involved in health education, research, business and public policy.

Registered nurses (RNs) represent the largest, single component of the health care profession with an estimated 2.7 million RNs in the United States. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. currently has a nurse shortage of nearly 150,000 RNs and will have a shortage of more than 800,000 RNs by the year 2020.

That’s because the number of Americans age 65 and older is projected to grow from about 35 million today to more than 70 million by 2030.

Certainly, more nurses will be needed to meet the needs of the growing elderly population.

We urge those high school students considering a career or those who are considering a career change to take a serious look at nursing so there will be enough loving, caring individuals out there to help heal those who need healing.

And we salute those already in the profession, filling critical roles on an everyday basis.