National Nurses Week is being observed this week. Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville has a total of 78 nurses working full time, part time or PRN status. They have began to use more certified nurse assistants due to increasing volume. The emergency department took care of 999 patients during the month of March. The nurses work on the patient care unit, surgery, emergency department, case management, allergy services or the medical clinic. Eddie Beene is the longest tenured nurse. He has been in the HMH system for 43 years. The mission of the hospital is to improve the health of the surrounding communities that they serve and provide service excellence.