To call this last year a challenge for nurses is an understatement.
No surprise that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse. And in 2021, let’s say we’re not feeing feeling any less thankful to these hardworking and resilient caregivers.
Five reasons to say thanks in 2021:
- Nurses, according to the WHO, are more than half of all the world’s health workers.
- They provide vital services throughout the health system.
- They’re at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics -- including today’s.
- Around the World, “They are demonstrating their compassion, bravery and courage as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” says the WHO.
- In our cities and towns, they’re caring for our parents, our children, and our families.
Despite the hours, the stress, and the conflicts with family responsibilities, the nurses we’ve talked to are unequivocal about why they do their jobs. In a study they told us they would still recommend the career to an up-and-comer.
“I have always felt that it is very important to take care of people the way that I would want to be treated,” said Maloise, one of the nurses who entrusts her child to our centers while she goes to care for patients.
“It’s what we do.”
“Nurses, “said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, referencing a report showing a dire shortage of these critical providers, “are the backbone of any health system.”
It’s “a stark reminder of the unique role they play, and a wakeup call to ensure they get the support they need to keep the world healthy.”
To Maloise and the millions of other nurses doing the hard work at this hard time and all the time – Happy National Nurses Week.
