The practice of nursing is changing faster than ever before. In the past year alone, we've made major leaps in education, policy and leadership. Our profession continues to rise to the Institute of Medicine's challenge of increasing the proportion of nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from 50% to 80% by 2020; the Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act was reintroduced in Congress; and for the 14th time since 1999, nursing was rated as the most trusted profession by an annual Gallup poll that ranks honesty and ethics in professions.
Our growing workforce of nurses is smarter, stronger and savvier than ever—and opportunities for nurses continue to expand. There will be far more jobs available for registered nurses than for any other profession through 2022, at more than 100,000 per year. This is an incredible opportunity for our profession, and it is nurses such as the Modern Healthcare Excellence in Nursing Award winners profiled in this issue who continue to take the practice of nursing forward.
The ANA Enterprise salutes the Excellence in Nursing Award honorees for embodying exactly what it means to be a nurse today. We must be fearless. We must be forward-thinking. We must care passionately for our patients. And we must lead.
The ANA Enterprise comprises the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Nurses Foundation. These organizations leverage the combined strength of each entity to drive excellence in practice and ensure the voice and vision of nurses are recognized. We embody and support the values that this year's award winners exemplify: excellence in practice, courage and compassion to elevate the entire profession.
We are honored to sponsor the awards and celebrate these amazing nurses who are lighting the way for their colleagues, their patients and their industry. It is up to all of us to ensure that nurse leaders continue to be supported and rewarded for their vision.
