Celebrate Nursing with Johnson & Johnson's Amazing Nurses Contest

Do you know there is currently a shortage of nurses in the healthcare field? Nationwide there are over 100,000 vacant nursing positions and that number is expected to grow exponentially by the year 2020. I considered become a nurse when in college and, if I could go back, I would definitely change my field of study to nursing. I think someone who considers the nursing field must feel passionately about the job because is it can be tough and selfless, but very rewarding, too. I would love a job giving me the ability to help others each and every day. When people are living longer these days and our world population continues to grow, there really is no other way around it: we need more nurses! However, nursing is considered a highly regarded profession and in a 2011 Gallup Poll, the public voted nurses #1 for "honesty and ethical standards of various professions" for the 8th consecutive year!

Do you know a nurse that has made a difference in your life or the life of a friend/family member? Johnson & Johnson's Amazing Nurses Contest gives you the chance to give that nurse the recognition they so greatly deserve. All you need to do is go to the Amazing Nurses website or the J&J Amazing Nurses Nursing Notes Facebook App to tell the story about how the amazing nurse impacted your life or the life of another. It's a simple process and maybe your special nurse will win! If they do win, they get to attend the 2012 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute show in Los Angeles, California with a guest, courtesy of CNN! They will also be honored in a video profile which will be screened before a live audience at the show AND featured on the Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson Facebook page! So, please take a few minutes to write your story!

My mother-in-law, Jenny, has been a nurse for several years and has made a difference in many lives, including my own. It's hard to narrow it down to just one thing she has done for us over the years, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is when I gave birth to Josiah. She came to the hospital and stayed with us until the baby was born, which ended up being over 23 hours! My husband was still in school and I was just working a part-time job before going back to grad school, so we were already struggling to pay bills before Josiah came along. Jenny helped us prepare for the baby, get the essential items we needed and even threw us a baby shower! I ended up having an emergency c-section since Josiah didn't want to come out and I was so thankful for her help. Moving around was painful and trying to take complete care of Josiah was just out of the question. Jenny helped coach us on everything we needed to do, from giving our newborn baths and breastfeeding to changing diapers and sleeping when the baby sleeps. She ended up staying with us for the week, which I think was amazing because she put everything else on hold to be with us, help us and love on her new grandson. She's such a wonderful mother-in-law and nurse!

Nurses give so much to their patients- comfort, care and skill. This is the time to encourage others to consider this career choice and to celebrate those who are already nurses. Do your part to give back and thank a nurse who has done something for you, a friend or family member by submitting them in the Amazing Nurses Contest. Just click the links above to submit your story about an amazing nurse!

 I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom CentralConsulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.