DETROIT, May 9, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The National American Arab Nurses Association (NAANA) joins the country in recognizing the contributions of nurses during National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. "Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day" is this year's theme.
Rose Khalifa, NAANA founder and president, said, "As our society experiences the growing shortage of nurses, we realize more and more the significant meaning of this year's theme. Nurses do make a difference everyday in the lives of thousands of people in our own community. NAANA honors the work of nurses of all backgrounds, cultures and races who care for others."
NAANA also announces its Inaugural Convention to be held October 9 - 10, 2008, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The conference, themed "Building Cultural Bridges in Health Care: Strength in Diversity," will feature noted experts in health care diversity.
Co-sponsored by the National Arab American Medical Association, the convention welcomes health administrators; physicians; residents; medical students; nurses; student nurses; social workers; speech, physical, and occupational therapists; human resource professionals; hospital chaplains; educators; researchers; and other key healthcare professionals responsible for addressing the cultural, social, ethnic and religious practices and beliefs among health care professionals and patients they serve, ensuring cultural competence in the workplace and compliance with Joint Commission and CMS standards.
Internationally renowned Dr. Gottfried Oosterwal, Adjunct Professor of Global Health in the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, will discuss micro-inequities in health care settings. Micro-inequities are the subtle, sometimes subconscious messages that devalue or demoralize an individual in the workplace.
CEUs and CMEs will be granted for attendance to convention sessions.
"Our inaugural conference in May 2005 drew over 400 attendees from across the state of Michigan and a few neighboring states. This national conference offers a wide spectrum of programs on transcultural nursing, cultural competence, workforce diversity, recruitment and retention of nurses, nursing shortages, education of nurses, among other current issues faced by nurses and other health care professionals," said Khalifa.
Founded in 2001, NAANA is a professional organization that:
* Encourages and supports the recruitment of student nurses
* Serve as a vehicle for the promotion of nurses generally and
Arab American nurses specifically throughout the United States
and abroad
* Promotes the image of American Arab nurses in the profession and
to patients
* Works to advance the knowledge and career status of nurses
* Educates healthcare providers about cultural practices that
impact the healthcare of an increasingly diverse patient
population.
Sponsorships and exhibitor space are available, as are conference registrations, by calling 313-680-5049. For more information, visit www.n-aana.org.
The National American Arab Nurses Association logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1446