Nurses Week 2025: Celebrating the Power to Transform Health
From May 6–12, we mark National Nurses Week 2025, a time to recognize the vital role nurses play, not only in caring for patients, but in shaping the very future of health care. They are often the first and most consistent point of contact for patients navigating complex health journeys.
This year’s Nurses Week theme, “The Power of Nurses to Transform Health,” speaks to the profound and far-reaching impact of nurses and perfectly embodies the irreplaceable value they bring in keeping people healthy and thriving. Throughout history, nurses have been the backbone of the health care system, advocating for patients and leading in clinical innovation.
“The art of medicine would not survive or exist without the diligent hard work and loving care given by our nurses,” said John Rooney, DO, one of Northern Arizona Healthcare’s primary care physicians.
During National Nurses Week, Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) is celebrating all of our nurses, as well as the millions of nurses across the world. Today, NAH employs over 1,255 nurses, with 959 of those primarily working at Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC). We continue to recruit more nurses each year as northern Arizona’s population expands.
In hospitals, clinics, schools, and homes, nurses serve as caregivers, educators, advocates, researchers, and leaders. They are the human connection at the heart of health care. Whether in busy emergency rooms, rural clinics, home care visits, or public health campaigns, they are often the first to offer comfort and the last to leave a patient’s side. They bring knowledge, skill and compassion to every shift they work.
Our providers are the first to thank their important teammates this week for the work that they do.
“The nurses at NAH are some of the most hard-working, well-trained and compassionate staff I have ever been a part of,” said Derek Browne, DO, an NAH family medicine practitioner.
“They are there to take care of the sick and injured, as well as everyone in between. Our medical system would deteriorate if we didn’t have such tremendous men and women taking care of all of us. I can’t think of a more important figure to a patient when they are brought into our medical facilities feeling ill, weak or scared, and our nurses step in immediately to greet them and begin treating them,” Dr. Browne added. “When your health and wellbeing are on the line, you will know the importance of nursing. I say this not as a physician, but as someone who was recently their patient, and I want to extend my utmost gratitude to the nurses at NAH.”
NAH is committed to celebrating nurses, including honoring a “Nurse of the Year” annually. This year the honor went to Kristie Riebe, RN, a nurse navigator at FMC. It is her job to help patients navigate the often-complex care they undergo after a cancer diagnosis.
“Starting as a candy striper at 16 years old and growing into a 31-year nursing career has been such a beautiful journey,” said Riebe. “What has sustained me through the years at FMC is this incredible community and deep connections both with my patients and my colleagues here in Flagstaff. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most dedicated, skilled and compassionate nurses at FMC over the last 26 years. I am so proud to be part of a profession that is built on heart and skill, and I feel so lucky to work with such amazing people every day.”
Supporting nurses means more than gratitude, it requires commitment. It means recognizing nurses as essential partners in health innovation and decision-making. It also means listening. Nurses bring a wealth of lived experience and practical insight to the table.
This Nurses Week, let us go beyond appreciation. Let us elevate the role of nurses in the conversations and decisions that will shape the future of health care. Let us ensure that nursing education is accessible and adequately funded, that new nurses are mentored and supported, and that seasoned professionals are given the tools to lead.
For more than 50 years, NAH nurses have provided exceptional care to the residents of northern Arizona, and they will be with us for the next 50 years, in every step along our health journeys.
Please join NAH in celebrating nurses this week and take a moment to thank a nurse for everything they do to care for the health of our community. Because when nurses thrive, health thrives, and their power to transform isn’t just a theme, it’s our path forward in receiving the very best in care.