When the World Health Organization announced that 2020 would be “the year of the nurse,” I don’t think anyone could have foreseen just how fitting that declaration would become. The year of the nurse was intended to be a celebratory one – a year that focused on the great contribution made by Florence Nightingale to the field of nursing, a year that recognized all of the accomplishments of nurses, and a year that focused on the highly skilled, compassionate care that nurses provide their patients every single day.

But then, a pandemic began to sweep across the globe. The time for celebrating seems to have passed. Instead, this year has become a time to put into action all of those qualities that are so worthy and deserving of recognition. 2020 has given the world a front-row seat to truly see the dedication, skill, and compassionate care that nurses around the world deliver to their patients every single day. Ironically, the “year of the nurse” is no longer just a declaration, it’s an eye-witness account to the harsh realities of what it truly means to be a nurse.

This has been a year of great sacrifice. Nurses who have tirelessly cared for patients with Covid-19 have in turn gotten sick, and many of them have died. Tragically losing their lives because of their dedication to caring for the sick and the dying. Others have voluntarily separated themselves from their families, because they don’t want to risk bringing anything home to their loved ones. So many nurses have worked long hours and endless shifts with only one mask and limited supplies, yet they have done their jobs well and continue to provide skilled and compassionate care for their patients.

But this has also been a year of uncertainty. Many nurses have been assigned to units outside of their current specialty. They have been asked to cross-train (quickly) and to help carry the burden that this pandemic has created. Others, due to the hold on everything elective, including surgical procedures, have just been left without work, and without the option of working somewhere else. And in the year celebrating all that is good about nursing, many nurses are facing furloughs, job loss, and pay cuts.

All of this makes Nurses’ Week feel very different than it has in years past. Add the current social distancing requirements, and there are no large work gatherings to celebrate. And with current budget restrictions, even that free pen isn’t likely this year. But, that doesn’t mean nurses haven’t made a difference, and it doesn’t mean that you aren’t valuable, or that your skill set isn’t needed.

In this year of the nurse, nurses have been asked, in so many different ways, to live out their dedication and commitment to their calling. And you have done it well. You have shown what it really means to be a nurse. By your sacrifice, and despite the uncertainty, you have embodied all of the qualities that were to be recognized by this special year. Your invaluable contribution has left its mark on a watching world.

Thank you and happy Nurses’ Week!

Melanie