National Nurses Week is this week

To the Editor:

National Nurses Week is observed every year beginning on May 6 with National Nurses Day and ending on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing as a modern profession. My health care career began as a practicing nurse, so I know firsthand the countless everyday contributions nurses make on the frontline of providing patient care.

At Franklin Community Health Network, nursing is our largest group of patient care providers. We employ more than 200 nurses, ranging from nurse practitioners, to registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants. These professionals care for patients of every age in a wide variety of settings: from Franklin Health medical practices, to hospital outpatient and inpatient units, and community settings.

In collaboration with doctors and other clinicians, nurses provide education, guidance and resources to individuals managing an illness or chronic condition. Nurses help patients understand discharge and care plans, medication regimens, appointment follow ups, referrals to other providers, and equipment needs. They impact patients and their families on a personal level by combining nursing science with caring and compassion.

Our nurses also demonstrate leadership by taking active roles in advancing nursing quality and patient safety. For example, in February our nurse managers hosted a skills’ fair that created an interactive and engaging four-day learning environment to enhance nursing expertise with the ultimate goal of providing our patients with the highest level of nursing care possible.

On May 6 our organization will declare the recipient of the fourth annual Excellence in Nursing Award, an award established to recognize outstanding contributions by nurses who demonstrate exceptional nursing practice and professionalism. Stay tuned: the announcement about this remarkable individual is forthcoming.

When you see a nurse in the coming weeks, be sure to thank this unsung hero for his or her everyday efforts to promote optimal patient outcomes and improve the overall health of our community.

Rebecca Arsenault, RN, president/CEO, Franklin Community Health Network

A disappointing decision

To the Editor:

We understand that many small towns in central Maine are struggling and have struggled with town budgets, but my husband and I, who are tax-paying residents in Livermore Falls, are completely disappointed and frankly disgusted that, at a recent selectboard meeting, funds for the Livermore Falls Downtown Betterment Group (an all-volunteer group) were slashed.

The funds, a mere $1,000, pale in comparison to the good that this group has provided during the past several years. We cannot imagine what the board members who voted against this were thinking.

We find their decision very myopic in vision and not in the best interests of the people whom they represent, both in the short term and the long term.

Just ask any member of the LFDBG what they have accomplished — the list is long and impressive. The group’s activities have benefited adult citizens, youth and many businesses, as well as the general appearance of our little downtown.

They put in endless hours to make some of the annual major activities happen, things that bring families together and create a sense of community — something that all kids need if they are to feel proud and interested in their hometown.

The board of selectmen should be ashamed.

Cindy Rehagen Langewisch and Nicholas Rehagen, Livermore Falls