NPs recognized during Nurse Practitioner Week

Pictured in the back row from left are Tammy Laws, Julie Wylie and Casey Wilson; in the middle row from left, Tara Goodwin, Kasey McClain and Tanya Golden; and in the front from left, Angels Simmons, Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer and Teresa McDonald. (Contributed)
Pictured in the back row from left are Tammy Laws, Julie Wylie and Casey Wilson; in the middle row from left, Tara Goodwin, Kasey McClain and Tanya Golden; and in the front from left, Angels Simmons, Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer and Teresa McDonald. (Contributed)

Nurse Practitioner Week comes to a close today, and earlier this week, Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer met with several local NPs to recognize their service to the community.

"Their work is extremely vital to our community," Smith-Creer said on Friday.

Nurse Practitioner Week is an annual event meant to celebrate the health care providers, as well as "to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers to practice so nurse practitioners (NPs) will be allowed to practice to the full extent of their experience and education," according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

This year's Nurse Practitioner Week was held from Nov. 7 through today.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued a proclamation on Nov. 7 declaring it National Nurse Practitioner Week in Arkansas. According to the proclamation, over 325,000 NPs practice nationwide, including more than 2,200 in Arkansas.

"Arkansas is proud to recognize and honor the service of NPs to our state," the proclamation reads.

National Nurse Practitioner Week was founded in 2014 by the AANP. According to the organization, this year's theme for the week was "NPs: Going the Extra Mile."

Upcoming Events