National Nurses Week began March 6 and continues throughFriday, the American Nurses Association announced. The theme for the week is “Culture of safety — It starts with you.”

“Injuries to nurses and other health care professionals should not be tolerated as just ‘part of the job,’” said ANA President Pamela Cipriano.

Cipriano added, “In a culture of safety, nurses are encouraged to talk openly about safety issues and their impact on patient care. A 2013 study showed that preventable adverse events accounted for 210,000 to 440,000 deaths of hospital patients every year. Clearly, there is still work to be done, and nurses will play a key role.”

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions also celebrates National Nursing Week this week. Canada's nurses have requested meetings with provincial health ministers during National Nursing Week to share smart health policy solutions driven by the best evidence.

“On behalf of Canada’s nurses who are working today regardless if it is 3 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon, we are requesting meetings with provincial health ministers to present the latest research on evidence-informed nursing policy and its potential impacts on patient safety and quality of care, organizational effectiveness, and health system outcomes,” said CFNU president Linda Silas. “It is time we effectively budget health human resources in each province, for our workforce and, most importantly, for patient safety.”