Nurses have always held a key role in the country’s healthcare system, and the 2020 pandemic has put them on the frontlines of a battle. While COVID-19 wages a war on America’s health, nurses are playing a vital role as soldiers fighting to save patients’ lives.
Each day, nurses show up for work to comfort and care for patients, uncertain of what their shifts will bring. We’ve all heard stories of these dedicated caregivers who work long hours away from their families and loved ones, risking their own health to help patients who have the virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), without nurses, there would be very limited response to the coronavirus.
While it’s important to salute nurses every day, we’re honoring them in a special way this month and throughout this year. Since 1991, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has observed May 6-12 as National Nurses Week. And this year, WHO designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
At Fortis, we’re proud to be a part of a nurse’s educational journey. Nursing makes up the largest group in the health sector, accounting for nearly 60 percent of health professionals, according to the WHO 2020 State of the World’s Nursing Report. Many nurses feel the profession is their calling and cannot imagine doing anything else...
Our students have told us:
“I love taking care of people and it's rewarding for us to know that we're there for the patient. For some patients we're the only family they have and the only one they see every day.”
“I have an affection for people. I love being around people. I love taking care of them, helping them in many forms and capacities. Nursing seems to encompass this the most for me.”
“I wanted to be a nurse because I want to save the world. It's a big dream—a very big dream.”
“I just think that the American public owes a phenomenal debt of gratitude for these people, and they should just salute them in every way you can," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease expert, said during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing. "When we see healthcare workers. Just applaud them."
The next time you see a healthcare worker, especially a nurse, join us in doing just that, because becoming a nurse is one of the most selfless acts someone can do.
Thank you, nurses!