National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, which is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Florence Nightingale is significant because she modernized the field of nursing and improved healthcare practices. National Nurses Week celebrates and acknowledges nurses, marking the contributions that they make to society. Nurses are an essential part of the healthcare system, acting as patient advocates and skilled care providers. They work to provide education, promote healthy practices, share their expertise, and provide direct patient care. Most patients have more direct face time with their nurses than with doctors.

It is with that in mind that Caracal wants to do its part in making nurses’ jobs—and hence the livelihoods of patients—even better. According to the National Library of Medicine, 7,000 to 9,000 people fall victim to a medication error each year in the United States. Medication errors in nursing account for almost twenty percent of these errors and medical injuries (U.S. Food & Drug Admin). In addition to that, packaging and labeling issues are cited as the primary cause of 33% of patient medication errors. However, the number of these errors can be reduced with preventative measures.

One of the many things that can be done to prevent these errors is to have clear and concise labels on the medications, as well as on the charts of patients, and other pharmacy products. This way the nurses can easily confirm the medication and dosage with the order. Nurses have the important task of reading the label, using bar-code technology (if functional), asking for an independent double-check (if required), and questioning orders for medications and dosages that are illegible or seem unsafe (US Pharmacist).

Caracal is a trusted source of high-quality pharmacy labels for healthcare systems across North America. We offer healthcare clients an efficient and cost-effective method of sourcing the many diverse types of labels needed in a healthcare environment.

Please join us in commemorating this important profession and all that nurses do to care for patients worldwide and allow us to help make their jobs even more effective as a trusted source of labels for healthcare systems across North America.