The nursing world has quickly shifted attention from the World Health Organization’s proclamation of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet the convergence of these two events should not be lost on us. This year was going to be the time to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives internationally, highlight the challenging conditions they often face, and advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce.
Who could have imagined the critical importance of nurses in our society would be brought into focus so clearly by the COVID-19 pandemic? Every day, the media highlights the threatening conditions nurses and other care providers are facing and how staff shortages may impact the healthcare system’s ability to save lives.
Although life as we know it may have changed, the core character of nurses has not.
We are in touch with numerous nurse leaders these days, and each one tells us of pride in their nurses’ courage, dedication to patients and the teamwork nurses so naturally bring to caring for patients and each other. We hear that even during this time of social distancing, nurses are still providing the human connection patients need to help them heal as they navigate illness and pandemic fear.
At the DAISY Foundation, we often talk about how nurses take care of “the rest of us” and how grateful we are for their extraordinary skill and compassion. More than ever, “the rest of us” need to be taking care of nurses and other healthcare providers. The best thing we can all do to support the nurses in our lives is to follow CDC guidelines to minimize the virus’s spread.
Nurses show resilience during COVID-19 pandemic
We all depend on the resilience of nurses — their ability to deal with everything being thrown at them and still return the next day, or night, to do it all over again. We depend on nurses’ conviction, no matter the circumstances, to treat us every day with their clinical excellence but also to deliver that care with compassion.
As nurses are on the frontline of getting us through this pandemic, we need to shore up their resilience with our gratitude.
The gratitude we show is a constant reminder to them that they are making a difference — a difference they may not realize they are making while in the throes of overloaded hospitals and too few resources that have become all too common during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have heard from several nurse leaders that they are getting an unusually high number of nominations for The DAISY Award, which is testimony to the fact that nurses continue to provide above-and-beyond care no matter what. Nominations also show that patients, as always, want and need to say thank you.
We call on organizations that honor their nurses with the DAISY Award to continue to do so during these stressful times. Encourage nominations by patients and other staff and select honorees. Please allow your DAISY Awards to help maintain a modicum of normalcy. Don’t let the pandemic stop the ritual of meaningful recognition for honorees and nominees.
Even if the award presentation is simply a small meeting with the honoree’s CNO in her/his office, this expression of gratitude for making a difference to a patient will make a meaningful difference to that nurse. There is no better time to remind them why they became nurses.
At the DAISY Foundation, we feel that every year is the Year of the Nurse, and this year is turning out to make a powerful statement no one could have anticipated.
The lessons of Florence Nightingale’s nursing practice during the Crimean War are still being applied today during the COVID-19 pandemic — basic handwashing, maintaining standards of cleanliness, learning from the data, and more.
The WHO’s commemoration of her 200th birthday, and, we believe, the goals the organization set for 2020 will be achieved beyond their expectations. Nurses deserve nothing less, now and always.
Learn more about the DAISY Award.
My colleagues and community members have been discussing what we can do to help nurses and all those working at the frontline of healthcare in these difficult days/weeks/months to come. What would you suggest? We’d love your feedback on our Cookies to Caregivers initiative. RNs, PAs, MAs we asked have said they’d always appreciate food deliveries such as pizza, cookies, donuts, coffee, so we’re sending Girl Scout cookies, but please let us know if there’s something more impactful we can do.
thanks for sharing good, helpful post,
God bless
In my department we are health oriented as all healthcare professionals should be. Lots of cookies, donuts get wasted. How about something healthy, fruits like bananas, oranges, nuts, energy bars etc. If not possible, thank you is enough.
I also engaged of un employee youth of all india engaged of more pharmaceutical company also work at Security Personnel jobs in sikkim state i also distribute of ration at my own pocket
Washable cloth masks with ties instead of elastic ear loops. These can be left around the neck and reused for the day. The protection is only a barrier, but it brings some peace of mind. And right now, the emotional toll of this virus is great. There are plenty of good patterns and instructional videos circulating on social media.
I need to know as health care workers, why should we wait to have a confirmed case before we wear essential gears PPE. Where is the prevention? Instead we are all at risk. What about us as nurses? Then after it’s confirmed you allow PPE 😷. I believe we should be proactive and protect our people. The whole of Canada should be wearing mask as prevention
I have a great suggestion to lift the spirits of those on the front-line. There is a web page http://www.HonorAndThank.com
It is a simple way we can thank all of those who are sacrificing so much for us.
We are asking everyone to spread the word about HonorAndThank.com. It’s a page where people can leave messages of love, thankfulness, encouragement and positive messages for the healthcare workers and others on the front-line battling COVID19. You can post a message and/or picture to the healthcare facilities in your local community, across your state or nationwide. There are over 12,000 listed.
If you know of anyone working in these places, please let them know that these pages are there for them to view. We need them to know how much they are appreciated, and to keep showing up. We owe them our lives as they risk theirs! Each one is a hero.
Thank you so much!
Please spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and text.
Here is a simple way we can thank all of those who are sacrificing so much for us.
Please help spread the word about http://www.HonorAndThank.com.
It’s a page where people can leave messages of love, thankfulness, encouragement and positive messages for the healthcare workers and others on the front-line battling COVID19. You can post a message and/or picture to the healthcare facilities in your local community, across your state or nationwide. There are over 12,000 listed.
If you know of anyone working in these places, please let them know that these pages are there for them to view. We need them to know how much they are appreciated, and to keep showing up. We owe them our lives as they risk theirs!
Each one is a hero.
Thank you so much!
Please spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and text.
Broken and battered
and a little bit tattered
We come to you
Feeling a little blue
We’re a little rattled
Somewhat shattered
We come with our fear
Some maybe a tear
Some come with hope
Some can’t cope
Broken bones
Some feeling alone
Will I always be in pain
Will bad memories remain
In walk the healer’s
Believer’s and giver’s
Lovingly putting us together again
Gently, gracefully helping us mend.
Thank you all so much ✌️🙏🌈
beautiful poem, thank you, Linda K RN, NP
Thank u for this article, and also thank u to all the health care workers in the world. Now….. my girlfriend’s name is Michele Pelusi, she is a nurse ,she works on all floors, she’s a float. Everyday I can see sorrow,pain,fear,worry written all over her beautiful face that wants nothing more then to see people happy. Not to mention, she was a single mom until I came along, she has a couple degrees,one being in drug and alcohol(helping others). She is not an addict/alcoholic but believes in people when nobody else does, she’s the most beautiful soul I know,this pandemic we’re going thru is causing so much h strain on her every day, I know there is like stores that have discounts for her n people like her right now, that’s not enough, her life and so many other’s doing things she does to make ends meat deserve so much more. I believe the government should have some kind of law or proposition passed her life is worth more then a 50% oil change,or free coffee. She risks her life and her sons life to save ours. She’s my hero n I want her to know she is appreciated.
Great article! This is the time to applaud the heroes staying amidst us, not only healthcare workers, but also those who silently and continually take care of sick and dying parents, relatives and children at homes and in hospice centres, keeping their wits about in this period of extreme stress and uncertainty.
You have shared a really meaningful post here in this situation. We all need to understand the dedication and hard work of nurses, doctors, and all medical professionals. Nurses and other medical staffs are equally important as nurses.