If you haven’t had a chance to thank a nurse for his or her tireless, brave and heroic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, National Nurses Week (from May 6-12) is the perfect time.
Nurses are always on the frontline, and during a world health crisis like COVID-19, they need our support and gratitude now more than ever. Here are a few ways to say thanks to nurses who go above and beyond.
Organize a meal train. Make a schedule with your friends and neighbors and reach out to a local nurse or healthcare organization and offer to deliver dinner each night for a week (or more!). You can also send food via Uber Eats thanks to its new feature. If you can’t make dinner work, you can always offer to bring coffee or treats.
Send a care package. If you know a nurse (or reach out to a local hospital or medical center), make a package filled with self-care goodies like face masks, cream and sprays (to help with marks from wearing masks all day—or even a gift card and a bottle of wine.
Encourage your kids to write a thank you. Teach your kids about the essential role nurses are playing in fighting the pandemic and have them express their gratitude through letters or coloring sheets you can send in the mail, share online or even stick in your windows. “We received a few handwritten cards and I could tell they were from kids because of the handwriting and drawings,” says Frank Bernard Bobadilla, RN, nurse manager at Jersey City Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas health facility. “They were so heartwarming—the cards were from young kids…and they were calling us superheroes and thanking us for all that we’re doing. To hear that from a kid, to hear that they’re comparing us to the superheroes they idolize, was so great. It was very inspiring. We’ve hung up the letters in our break room, and we’ll look at it between shifts for motivation.”
Make a video. Ask your friends and neighbors to create their own thank you cards and posters, then have them snap a picture or send a video and create a montage. You can share with your local hospital and medical centers via email or social media. The students from the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City created a “Rainbows of Hope” video featuring their drawings to celebrate the Jersey City Medical Center community (below).
Shout out the medical heroes in your life. Head to social media to show love for the healthcare heroes you do know. Women’s national soccer team striker Alex Morgan started this jersey-making trend on Twitter (below) that honors the healthcare professionals you know with the hashtag #TheRealHeroes.
Join me and the world of sports this Wednesday, National Nurses Day, as we honor the frontline healthcare heroes who inspire us.
Make a jersey in their honor. Tag it with #TheRealHeroes
Let them feel the love! pic.twitter.com/uIh7TrtsL4
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) May 4, 2020
Make a donation. Reach out to your local hospitals and healthcare facilities and ask what they need. See if it’s something you have in your house or can purchase. If you’re able, you can always donate financially, as well.
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# National Nurses Week
