Home » News » Fresno Commemorates National Nursing Week

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is hosting an official nursing symposium, “Nurses Make the Difference,” in commemoration of *National Nurses Week, May 6–12, 2024, on Tuesday, May 7, from 3:30–6:30 PM at the school’s Fresno Campus (located at 4747 North First St., Fresno, Calif.). 

Fresno Commemorates National Nursing Week

Featured speakers for the event will include Dr. Manisha Mittal, M.D., Moksha Holistic Center rheumatologist and holistic practitioner, and Joseph J. Pool, B.S. Clovis Community Medical Center substance use navigator. Dr. Mittal obtained her medical degree at Dayanand Medical College and  Hospital, India. Later, she completed her residency in internal medicine at Columbia University-affiliated hospitals in New York and a fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). Mittal has been featured on KSEE TV’s Central Valley Today, advocating the benefits of a holistic approach to medicine.1 

As a substance use navigator, Mr. Pool assists patients who suffer from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), as well as other substance-related issues. As a navigator, he works closely with nurses, physicians, and social workers to change the culture around addiction.2  Pool will cover the topics of opioid overdose and naloxone distribution. He will lead participants in an experience in Opioid overdose simulation at the event.Fresno Commemorates National Nursing Week

Additionally, the campus will be welcoming nursing associations from throughout the Central Valley, including the following: 

Fresno Commemorates National Nursing Week

Attendees will have the opportunity to observe demonstrations of the Oculus (VR) immersive Simulation experience in the school’s recently built Nursing Simulation Lab Center. Completed May 1, 2022, the 5,000-square-foot skills center features leading interactive healthcare equipment, patient simulators, high-fidelity mannequins, a centralized command center, a didactic lecture facility, and offices accommodating nursing leadership. 

“The National Nurses Week is a time-honored tradition commencing each year on May 6, the National Nurses Day, and ending on May 12, the birthday of the nursing founder Florence Nightingale,” says Samantha Manlosa Sanchez, the school’s dean of nursing.  “The nursing profession, throughout time, continues to make an enduring impact on clinical practice and academic nursing education,” says Sanchez. “At the core of Gurnick Academy’s mission and vision, the Department of Nursing upholds and supports the lifelong learning needs of a diverse community. We are grateful to our nursing faculty and program leaders for their continued dedication to nursing education as they continue to dedicate their time and effort to serve the community and make meaningful contributions to global nursing,” says Sanchez.

Nurses embody compassion, expertise, and innovation in every patient encounter

While Fred Faridian, the Academy’s Vice President of Campus Operations adds, “In honor of National Nurses Week, let us celebrate the unwavering dedication of our nurse educators who tirelessly champion and teach excellence in healthcare. They embody compassion, expertise, and innovation in every patient encounter. Thank you, Gurnick Academy nurses, for the difference that you make every day,” says Faridian.

This convocation represents the second Nurses Week event the campus has planned for its students and faculty. Refreshments will be served.~

*The American Nurses Association is celebrating National Nurses Week on May 6–May 12, 2024, and throughout May. This year’s theme, “Nurses Make the Difference,” honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting.3


Written by Cindy R. Chamberlin.
Citations: 
1 “Moksha Holistic Center–Fresno, California–USA–Mind. Body. Soul.” Mokshaholisticcenter.com, Moksha Holistic Center, 2020. (Accessed April 29, 2024.)
2 Substance Use Navigators. PIH Health, November 2021, Substance Use Navigators. (Accessed April 29, 2024.)
3 “National Nurses Week May 6–12, 2024 | ANA.” Nurses Week Site, American Nurses Association, February 21, 2024. (Accessed April 29, 2024.)

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