Gratitude.

This week we officially kick off the Holiday Season and Thanksgiving is particularly special this time around. As I reflect on this past year and the impact on Nurse Leaders across the Northwest, I am humbled and inspired by the courage and strength that persists.  There is a collective "thread" weaved through the fabric of the nursing profession, from academia creating the pipeline for the next generation to the organizations that employ and support nurses and all through the ranks of nursing leadership. That "thread" is a shared experience, with shared trauma, pain and loss. It is also a shared opportunity for the nursing profession to come together with a united voice and purpose. As we go through the healing stages from scars left by the pandemic, and take account of the true impact of workforce and staffing challenges, steady burnout at all levels and roles and persistent covid re-surge, it can be easy to lose the grip on our common "thread". When I reflect on what, who and why I am grateful and thankful for this season, NWONL and the Nurse Leaders that this organization represents is on my list.

I am humbled by the courage, grace and grit that you weave into the fabric of our profession. 

-cmw