10/20/2025
October 2025 NFK Presidents message:
NFK Nurses,
While September has been one of the most interesting months for me this year, I am happy to say that October is finally here! October holds space for cultural and historical significances, awareness and education, and personal and social meanings. In addition, I learned today that a warm October means a cold February. I also found out that it is a month for historical milestones, like the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1 in 1957, and the founding of the United Nations in 1945.
For now, though, October represents a time of autumnal change, marked by vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow. It is a time of abundance, a time when our farmers reap the fruits of their labor. In Colorado, people set out on mountain road trips to do 'leaf peeping' in hopes to view and capture images of the fall foliage. I like to say it is 'sweater weather'. A time to put away the summer clothes and sandals. This is a time when we get out the hot chocolate, our favorite blanket or hoodie, and a good book.
Looking at this eighth month of the year, it also gets associated with the October Opal birthstone, and birth flowers, cosmos and calendula (marigolds). Culturally, October can also mean celebrating Halloween. This can be done through incorporating a variety of ancient traditions, modern American traditions, and global traditions. My favorites traditions are trick-or-treating, costumes, handing out candy, and carving pumpkins with the family. Other cultural observances are Hispanic Heritage Month and Filipino American History Month. October symbolizes concepts such as hope, faithfulness, and joy. It is a time for reflection, learning, new beginnings and the 'cuffing season' of forming relationships. This phenomenon is driven by the desire for warmth and closeness as days get shorter, often linked to seasonal changes affecting mood and social behaviors.
The area of awareness and education holds meaning for us as nurses, as we can dedicate our time to awareness campaigns and promote prevention measures. We promote observations to domestic violence awareness, breast cancer awareness, stop bullying awareness, mental health awareness, drug overdose awareness, and autism awareness, just to name a few. We focus on our healthcare system and our patient outcomes. October brings what feels like a fresh start and a time to foster self-improvement and personal growth too. Some may call it a 'reset period'.
Finally, October is a month for community and connection. What comes to mind is a reminder that NFK started a project in the month of October 2023, and it is still going strong. Our strategic statement: "I am actively seeking to strengthen who we are as a professional association and the broader nursing profession through inclusion, diversity and equity, by providing information, resources, and support, through collaboration with one another in hopes of healing the fragmentations of our profession".
Since that time, we have been successful with connecting to various nursing groups, participating in many activities together, and developing personal and professional relationships over the last two years. As we head to the CNA General Assembly this month, let's remember that NFK brings a heightened sense of togetherness, along with providing opportunities to share our voices on lessons learned, and to always strive to educate ourselves and others.
Thanks,
Annette Cannon, President
NFK - Nurses Furthering Knowledge
CNA Constituent
