WHEREAS, the World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife to recognize and celebrate the work of nurses and midwives; and
WHEREAS, perioperative nurses specialize in the care of patients immediately before, during, and after surgical and other invasive procedures; and
WHEREAS, serving in settings ranging from traditional hospital-based operating rooms to ambulatory surgery centers and physicians’ offices, perioperative nurses work to provide the safest care possible for patients undergoing surgical and other invasive procedures; and
WHEREAS, perioperative nurses assess individual patient needs prior to and throughout the surgical or invasive experience; develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a plan for the care of the patient; and prepare the operating room and patient for their procedure; and
WHEREAS, perioperative nurses are responsible for monitoring all aspects of the patient’s condition for the duration of each procedure and, through professional and patient-centered expertise, are responsible for care coordination after the procedure; and
WHEREAS, patients undergoing surgery and other invasive procedures, and their loved ones, rely on the skills, knowledge, and expertise of perioperative registered nurses, who have long upheld the tradition of improving surgical safety and the quality of patient care; and
WHEREAS, throughout the pandemic, perioperative nurses have been redeployed to other care areas, including the front lines, in the fight against COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina recognizes the contributions perioperative registered nurses make to patient safety and the opportunities and challenges facing the profession;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November 8 – 14, 2020, as “PERIOPERATIVE NURSE WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.