最新杏吧原创

It is my great honor to celebrate another National Nurses Month 鈥� my third in the greater 最新杏吧原创 area 鈥� alongside the incredible nurses who serve this region with heart, compassion and expertise.

Every day, I witness the extraordinary care you provide to patients, families and our communities. Whether you鈥檙e new to the profession or have decades of experience, your commitment to healing and hope is inspiring. The nursing profession is not just a job, but a deeply personal vocation, a ministry even. It鈥檚 a journey that is as empowering as it is humbling.

I recently had the honor to speak to new nurses in this field at BJC鈥檚 Student Nurse Symposium on the important topic of emotional intelligence. At its core, nursing is built on relationships with our patients, our teams and ourselves. That鈥檚 why emotional intelligence is more important than ever. As nurses, we are often present in the most intimate and intense moments of a person鈥檚 life. The ability to understand and manage our own emotions, while recognizing and responding to the emotions of others, is vital to delivering compassionate care and maintaining our own well-being.

Emotional intelligence is a skill that grows with intention and reflection. For new nurses, it lays the foundation for resilience, effective communication and patient connection. For experienced nurses, it deepens leadership, mentorship and team collaboration. No matter where you are in your career, continuing to build this awareness strengthens your impact at the bedside and beyond.

At BJC HealthCare, we are committed to supporting nurses throughout every stage of their journey. Our RN Career Ladder is one example of a pathway that empowers you to work at the top of your license, recognizing and rewarding clinical expertise, leadership and continued professional growth. It is designed to elevate your practice and amplify your contributions to patient care.

We also invest in the future of nursing through initiatives like the Patient Care Technician Academy, an accelerated training program that introduces aspiring health care professionals to meaningful work early in their careers. But our responsibility doesn鈥檛 end with formal programs. Each of us has the power to open doors for others.

I聽encourage you to consider how you can be a mentor in your community, whether by partnering with local nursing schools, engaging with students or simply modeling what it means to care with purpose. You are the face of this profession. By supporting new nurses, we help shape a more compassionate, inclusive and emotionally intelligent future for health care.

To my seasoned colleagues, thank you for the wisdom you so generously share. To our newest nurses, thank you for choosing this noble profession. And to those at every stage in between, thank you for continuing to say 鈥測es鈥� to this calling, even when it鈥檚 hard.

Please, take time to care for yourselves. Emotional labor is real, and while nursing brings profound rewards, it also asks much of us. Self-care is not a luxury; it鈥檚 a necessity. When you care for yourself, you can care better for others.

Thank you for all that you do, not just this month, but every day.

聽 聽 聽 With gratitude,

聽 聽 聽 Tommye Austin, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

聽 聽 聽 Senior vice president and chief nurse executive, BJC HealthCare

To learn more about nursing careers at BJC, visit .

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