They heal, they comfort, they teach, they care. In honor of Nurses’ Week, we’re counting down Seven Reasons to Celebrate N.J. Nurses:

7. New Jersey nurses boast impressive educational credentials, including a strong foundation in the sciences. Close to 70 percent of N.J. nurses have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In fact, nearly 20 percent have earned a master’s or doctorate.

6. New Jersey nurses are leaders with a wealth of career pathways. By our last count, RNs hold the top executive position at 39 of NJHA’s member acute care hospitals, specialty hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, home health agencies or other post-acute organizations.

5. New Jersey nurses have heart! In 2017, scores of N.J. nurses volunteered in Houston, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to staff hospitals hard hit by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

4. New Jersey nurses have bright employment outlooks. The demand for nurses outpaces the supply in New Jersey. That means more opportunities, higher pay and the potential for flexible scheduling for N.J. nurses.

3. Nurses provide care in hospitals, nursing homes, home health and a number of other settings. But increasingly, nurses are out in the community promoting health and wellness. See this work in action: /community-health/caring-for-communities/community-benefit-report/community-benefit-in-action/

2. New Jersey boasts a greater percentage of Magnet hospitals than any other state. The Magnet award for nursing excellence recognizes the clinical expertise and decision-making of nurses.

And our number one reason to celebrate New Jersey nurses?

1. New Jersey nurses provide exceptional care! New Jersey outpaces the nationaI average in healthcare quality in a variety of reports, from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score to the annual Hospital Performance Report. Nurses are on the frontlines of that success. We thank them for the skill, compassion and expertise they bring to their vital work.

This is a special guest post to Nurse Talk by the staff of NJHA. Aline Holmes and Shannon Davila will return with their regular column next week.