Dear colleagues, friends, and fellow advocates for people living with rheumatic diseases,
Thanksgiving is behind us and the holiday season is officially upon us. As the weekend ended, a weekend when many of us took deliberate time to reflect on what we are grateful for, I found myself pausing to consider what I, as the immediate past president of the Rheumatology Nurses Society, am thankful for. After a year that asked so much of all of us, my heart is full for three particular reasons, and I would like to share them with you.
First, I am profoundly thankful for the regrowth and bright future of our association.
This past year has been difficult – there is no gentler way to say it. There have been leadership transitions, financial uncertainties, changes to established routines, and new directions to define. And yet here we stand on the other side: a dynamic new president leading us forward, a healthy and energized board, and an exceptionally talented new Executive Director bringing fresh vision and steady hands to our work. Watching our organization breathe deeply again, stretch toward new goals, and reclaim its role as the professional home for rheumatology nurses and advanced practice providers feels like nothing short of renewal. To everyone who stayed, stepped up, volunteered, or simply continued to believe, thank you. The best chapters are still ahead.
Second, I am grateful beyond words for the explosion of therapeutic options now available to our patients.
When I began in rheumatology, methotrexate and prednisone were our primary workhorses. And yes, there were a few biologics too. We often had to say, this is as good as it gets. Today we have conventional synthetics, biologics in multiple forms, JAK inhibitors, biosimilars expanding access, and a remarkable pipeline of new mechanisms on the horizon. We talk about remission instead of disease control, and we do so with real confidence. When a patient tells me they can button a shirt, climb stairs, or hold a grandchild again, I am reminded how far we have come. These advancements exist because of decades of research, advocacy, and nursing voices insisting that quality of life matters as much as swollen joint counts. Hope is no longer abstract. It is something we see every day in our clinics.
And finally, I am thankful for the profession of nursing itself.
Nursing is a true profession grounded in science, autonomous clinical judgment, lifelong scholarship, and a deep covenant with the public. We are surrounded by brilliant, big hearted, relentlessly competent people who choose every single shift to step into the hardest moments of other humans lives. Rheumatology nursing attracts a special kind of clinician. Someone who can calculate a DAS28 in their head, initiate an infusion, counsel on family planning for a patient with lupus, and still notice when someone is quietly frightened about an upcoming MRI. Clinicians who do all of this before lunch. I am forever in awe of you.
As a professional society, we have the privilege of upholding standards, advancing science, and championing this work through education, mentorship, research grants, policy advocacy, and the community that reminds every nurse: you do not do this work alone. Every conference hug, every late night message about a complex case, every story of lives changed reminds me that we are part of something noble, resilient, and deeply human.
Whether you are finishing leftovers, reporting for a holiday shift, or finding small moments of joy in the weeks ahead, I hope you feel seen, respected, and celebrated for the professionals you are. Our patients are better because of you. Our organization is stronger because of you. And the future of rheumatology care is brighter because you continue to show up, to serve, and to believe.
From my grateful heart to yours, thank you.