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May 2009 • Vol. 4 • Issue 3
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National Nurses Week
Celebrating Nurses Week and the Vital Role
of Nurses in TB Care
 National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12. The last day, May 12th, coincides with Florence Nightingale's birthday. Nightingale is considered to be the founder of modern day nursing. Annually, National Nurses Week focuses on highlighting the diverse ways in which nurses are working to improve health care and this year's theme is "Nurses: Building a Healthy America." According to American Nurses Association (ANA) President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, "This year's theme reflects the commitment nurses make every day in building a healthy America for the public we serve." Read more >>
In this issue of Close Contact, the SNTC highlights the critical importance of nurses in TB care. We are especially grateful to the nurses on our SNTC team for their contributions to our work and are thankful to the wonderful nurses who have partnered with us, in large and small ways. Without nurses, TB control as we know it in the United States would not be the same and would not be nearly as effective.
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Nurse Case Managers: The Pursuit of Excellence in TB Care and Control
Today, nurses are trained in the "nursing process," which provides the fundamental framework for tuberculosis case management. Nurses have played an essential role in the control of tuberculosis since the late 1800s. Koch provided the biological explanation for tuberculosis, but the disease is more than that; it has significant social risk factors strongly tied to infection and the development of disease. Evolving from the earliest concepts of the "visiting nurse," the role of the nurse has expanded over the intervening centuries to encompass all facets of the delivery and quality control of implementing the TB treatment plan and controlling TB in the community. Read more >>
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Junior Girl Scout Troop 165 from Gainesville, FL observed World TB Day 2009 by working on a "Cookies 4 a Change" service project. Recognizing that some patients at A.G. Holley are indigent and most have limited ability to shop on their own while hospitalized for treatment, the girls collected donated clothing, books, magazines, puzzles and games. The girls also used the proceeds from their cookie sales to purchase additional health and beauty products for the patients. The girls gathered over 25 boxes of items for the patients. 
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