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May 6-12, 2012, is National Nurses Week. Â鶹ԭ´´ offers six online nursing degree programs and is proud to join the nation in celebrating this noble profession.

So just what is it that makes a continued education so valuable in the nursing field? As part of National Nurses Week, we asked Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s Facebook fans to tell us, in 25 words or less, why a highly educated nurse is an excellent nurse.

Most of our responses came from nurses or nursing students, so they really know what they’re talking about. Here is a sampling of what we heard:

Lynnell: "I believe education helps us overcome bias and prejudice, which are two things a good nurse should overcome. Education provides us a broader life perspective."

Abhishek: "The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest."—William Osler, MD

Connie: "Often we encounter nurses who failed to keep up on technology, limiting the care they provide. Nursing is an ever changing profession, mandating continuing education."

Amelia: "A well-educated nurse is a powerful nurse because he or she can change the world."

Stephany: "An educated nurse is one that can bring comfort, support, confidence, compassion, and experience into care for his/her patients each and every day!"

Melissa: "Well-educated nurses = more knowledgeable patients = healthier communities = a better world. So you see well-educated nurses make the world a better place. :)"

Karyn: "They demand more from themselves, enjoy being challenged, respect knowledge not power, and have more to offer their patients and coworkers."

Lela: "Educated nurses make great nurses because we offer patients, families & communities excellent communication, critical-thinking and clinical skills. We have impeccable ethics and are caring."

Mark: "A well-educated nurse is a great nurse who makes a difference in the lives of patients with exceptional skills and knowledge in nursing cares."

Lynn: "After 28 years in nursing, I was tired of feeling incomplete. Â鶹ԭ´´ is affordable, accessible, achievable, amazing, empowering, affordable, and awesome!"

Joyce:" Pursuing a BSN program at Â鶹ԭ´´ will educate me in evidence-based practice so as to improve the safety and quality of outcomes for patient populations."

Mary: "A strong foundation. A sense of achievement. A change agent. Better patient outcomes. An opportunity to change direction in my professional growth"

Julie: "Knowing how to understand and comfort. Recognizing and reacting to emergencies. Fueling the power to make a difference. That’s how education makes a nurse great."

Laura: "A nurse who aspires to learn new things every day, whether formally or informally is a nurse that truly cares about their patients and mankind."

Kimberly: "A well-educated nurse provides excellent care to her patients based on compassion and research. She cares enough to continue her education every day."

Susan: "I have to say that my education at Â鶹ԭ´´ has already help me become more confident in my practice."