MEDICAL

With Secretaries Day just over, Nurses Day is on the horizon. This year’s celebration of nursing will take place Friday and will be followed by National Hospital Week.

Local hospitals, strapped by a nationwide nursing shortage, will take the opportunity to demonstrate their appreciation for the nurses they already have and try to attract more.

Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, which has 250 registered nurses on staff and would like to hire 80 more, is holding a recruitment open house Thursday to attract nursing students and practicing nurses.

Hoag Hospital plans “a weeklong celebration to honor the members of our nurses staff,” Hoag spokeswoman Pam Bolen said. She said the week’s events will include lectures and counseling sessions to inform the hospital’s nurses about opportunities for professional advancement.