Celebrating Everyday Courage

Diana Mason (Editorial, April) asked to hear how nurses celebrated Nurses Week. Here in Burbank, California, I sent an e-mail to Al Martinez, a writer at the Los Angeles Times. I thought it would be exciting if he wrote a feature on my colleagues in the intensive care unit at St. Joseph's Medical Center. After some discussion, we arranged an interview with him. He was kind enough to arranged for publication of his article, "The Healing Touch," during Nurses Week. The nursing staff at St. Joe's felt honored by his favorable portrayal.

Although the topic wasn't particularly innovative or visionary, the article really boosted my coworkers' spirits. In the high-tech ICU, it's easy to forget that delivering high-touch nursing is what often makes the difference in our patients' lives.

Michele M. Grimaldi, BSN, CCRN

Burbank, CA