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Today, May 6, 2025, marks the beginning of National Nurses Week, a weeklong recognition of nurses throughout the United States and the compassion and care they provide in multiple health care settings.  The week concludes on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the pioneer of modern nursing.

The Valley Health System, which includes multiple southern Nevada hospitals, freestanding emergency departments and outpatient services, has almost 4,400 registered nurses among its ranks.

Often referred to as the backbone of the hospital, RNs can be found in dozens of settings, ranging from the Emergency departments to Education, Intensive Care Units to Infection Prevention, Maternity Services to Medical/Surgical care unit, Cardiology to Case Management, Surgical Services to Information Technology and many other areas of expertise.

Valley Health System nurses have also taken extra steps in their lifelong learning process to voluntarily earn and maintain the highest credentials within their specialty; these include 70 different professional certifications in areas ranging from the Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) to case management, obstetrics, nurse management, perioperative nursing, critical care, medical surgical and other areas of nursing expertise.

Nursing in a hospital setting offers many different career pathways. Nurses may choose to specialize in a particular field, including neonatal care, pediatrics, oncology, neurology, cardiology, labor and delivery, perioperative services and more. Some may choose to branch off into the fields of quality, risk management, employee health, education and information services.

“Nurses have been considered the most honest, ethical and trusted profession for more than 23 years [according to Gallup+] for a reason,” said Karla Perez, Regional Vice President, Acute Care Division of Universal Health Services, Inc, who operates through its subsidiary The Valley Health System in  Las Vegas, Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, and Northern Nevada Health System in Reno/Sparks. “They are patient advocates at the bedside and in the procedural rooms. They listen, they educate, they work tirelessly to secure resources for patients. They aren’t afraid to show their emotions during difficult situations and their capacity for empathy is unparalleled.

“I’ve worked with nurses for more than 40 years and every year, my appreciation increases for their incredible leadership throughout the entire hospital. They are fully dedicated to caring for their patients, utilizing teamwork for the best outcomes, and continually seeking opportunities to improve their professional knowledge and our health system,” said Perez.

Within The Valley Health System, there are multiple opportunities in place to join, learn and expand one’s nursing skill set.

Summerlin Hospital Birthplace Volunteer Program
This program is especially for nursing students who are interested in the field of Labor and Delivery. Through the volunteer program, this is a dedicated labor and delivery support team comprised of nursing students and compassionate doulas who volunteer their time to enhance the birthing experience for expectant mothers. This unique collaboration not only provides valuable hands-on training for nursing students, but also ensures mothers receive continuous emotional and physical support during labor, fostering a nurturing and empowering environment during one of life’s most significant moments.

Nurse Apprentice Program
The Nurse Apprentice Program (NAP) is designed for those who have been accepted into an accredited nursing program and have completed at least one semester of basic nursing courses. The NAP program supplements a student’s coursework the opportunity for a paid position on a nursing unit and additional on-the-job training. Currently, the NAP program is available at various VHS hospitals and opportunities are posted on the Careers page of the websites.

Fun Fact: Since the program’s inception in 2021, Summerlin Hospital has hired 62 Nurse Apprentices.

Career Growth
Within The Valley Health System are multiple opportunities for growth and development. A partial listing includes:

Remarkable RN Program – This is designed especially for new nursing graduates and includes a yearlong Residency program, a Self-Care course and an eight to 12-week Internship in the area where they will be working (i.e. Med/Surg, ICU/IMC, ED or Perioperative. Each Remarkable RN also has a preceptor nurse to provide guidance and assistance during the residency year.

Fun fact: The VHS RN Residency extends throughout the first year of nursing practice so the candidate can continually grow and apply learned paradigms during unit experiences.

Gap Program - a fast-track program that consists of one month of classes and preceptorship on a medical/surgical nursing unit, to bridge that training gap in order to promote success in the nurse’s new acute care setting. This program is for nurses who may have switched from a non-acute setting (i.e., home health or long-term care) to an acute setting (hospital).

Clinical Ladders – a structured program for nurses to advance in their career while remaining in their current clinical setting, providing direct patient care.

LEARN Preceptor Program – a program for nurses who are interested in helping new nurses gain skills, confidence and knowledge.

Specialty internship programs for nurses who want to specialize in Intermediate Medical Care, Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, Medical/Surgical, Periop 101, Labor & Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatrics.
Fun Fact: The 725 nurses at Valley Hospital represent over 7,100 years of nursing experience, benefiting patients in our community!

Additional classes for RNs
Following the completion of specialty programs, training internships are available for new IMC and ICU nurses. For all ICU and IMC nurses, a wide range of advanced classes are available, including:

• caring for open heart surgery patients
• caring for heart and cardiac cath lab patients after they leave the ICU
• targeted temperature management for the post-cardiac-arrest patient
• caring for patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy
• caring for patients on an Impella device for the heart
• caring for patients with an intra-aortic balloon pump
• caring for patients with a neurological emergency, including stroke and neuro surgery
• caring for patients with an epidural for pain management
• deep dive to understand the 12-lead ECG

Recognition and Thanks
In addition to National Nurses Week, our nursing stars are also recognized via the DAISY award program, which is a national recognition program, and a variety of hospital-based and community nursing awards.

Has a nurse changed your life for the better? A thank you note, or a DAISY nomination is always appreciated!

To learn more about nursing careers, visit: valleyhealthsystemlv.com

+ Americans' Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low

About The Valley Health System
The Valley Health System is comprised of acute care and specialty hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, outpatient services and physician practices, caring for patients throughout Southern Nevada and surrounding communities. The Valley Health System offers a wide range of healthcare services including emergency care, surgical services, advanced cardiovascular and advanced neurological care, orthopedic care, women’s health, maternity and Level III neonatal intensive care units, and specialty programs in stroke, chest pain, orthopedics, pediatrics, weight loss surgery, acute rehabilitation, psychiatric services, wound care, and outpatient therapy.

Updated information about The Valley Health System can be found on:
Facebook: TheValleyHealthSystemLV
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/thevalleyhealthsystem
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-valley-health-system
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ValleyHealthSystem