International Nurses Week begins on May 6th and ends May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. It’s time to celebrate them!

I love nurses, I mean truly, deeply, and with all my heart.

My mom was a nurse so that might have something to do with it. That, and the fact that I know A LOT of nurses and they all kick ass. They kick so much damn ass!

Heart with white cross Nurses are Badasses

My mom was only 25 when my dad died, I was only 6 months old, my brother was 1 1/2 and she had to figure out how to survive. So, she went back to school and landed at the University of Washington School of Nursing. She graduated in 1974 and worked as a dedicated nurse until she died in 2003.

Karen Caldwell (Huckfeldt) UW School of Nursing 1974 photo

She told me she chose nursing because she knew she’d always have a job – and be able to take care of us! I love that so much. Of course, she also had a passion for public health and she had so much natural nursing ability. She exuded caring and kindness, the very heart of nursing is patient care after all.

Heart with stethoscope says Nurses are the Heart of Healthcare

Though I think nurses should be celebrated every single damn day it’s times like this that really bring their dedication, service, heroism, and awesomeness to the forefront. Covid-19 has brought our country to its knees, and who is there to hold us up? Nurses, and all the frontline workers!

So to honor my mom and all the many nurses in my life….let’s celebrate them this International Nurses Week!

Because this year is really challenging, I need every single one of us to do right by all nurses.

What does that look like? There are lots of ways to help, check out local organizations, hospitals, and places like Nurses.org and ask them what they need. But I’ve included some tips for you here!

International Nurses Week heart stethoscope May 6 - 12

10 SIMPLE BUT IMPACTFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR A NURSE THIS
International Nurses Week 2020

1. Listen To The Experts

Listen to the experts and do whatever you can to stop the spread of Covid-19 in your community. Social distancing, hand-washing, all of it. Just follow all of the recommendations.

2. Be Kind

Be Kind. Kindness is the heart of nursing, so please be kind to one another to honor that value.

What does that look like? Well, let’s say you are having a crap day and you feel frazzled, kindness looks like taking a deep breath and being helpful, sweet, thoughtful, generous, etc. even if you feel crusty. It’s giving a little bit of your heart to someone else, looking in their eyes and saying “you are OK, it’s all going to be OK”, encourage someone with a smile, cross the street first when someone comes toward you to let them pass with social distancing. It’s just being generous with your heart.

3. Be Thankful

Thank your nurses. Send them notes of thanks on social media to recognize them! Send them thank-you flowers.

And don’t forget to say thank you to each other for all the little things and all the big things too.

4. Feed Nurses

Donate to a group like Frontline Foods “Our army of volunteers raises funds from the community to support local restaurants and feed heroes working on the frontlines.” This is my local one in Portland, Oregon. But if there isn’t one in your community then start one!

5. Donate Cash Money $$

Give to one of the Go Fund Me groups in your community dedicated to supporting front line workers

Or better yet, consider donating directly to a nurse you know! Venmo it, Apple Pay it – there are loads of way to look up the nurses you know and just send them a few bucks to say thank you. It doesn’t have to be a lot, a small gesture will be greatly appreciated! If you don’t know a nurse I’m so sorry for you ‘cuz they are amazing humans – but surely you just need to ask and you will find someone who does know a nurse who could use it!

6. Sharing is Caring

Share a Skill – can you… Cook, Sew, Craft, Garden, Repair, Build….more?!

Sew masks, or donate fabric and supplies or cash to someone who is sewing masks. Are you crafty? Help a nurse throw a virtual party for their kid. Do you like to garden? Pull the weeds, plant some flowers. Repair a fence, fix a tire, wash a car.

You get the idea, you’ve got skills so figure out a way to share them!

7. Do A Solid

Volunteer your time to do a solid for a nurse. That could look like something as simple as paying for their coffee or parking. Or buying groceries and delivering them.

Heck be a toilet paper fairy and anonymously donate some toilet paper!

Even if you don’t know a nurse or frontline worker, you can connect with your local community organizations and offer to help. You can also look to places like your local “Nextdoor” app or other social media for someone in need. And then follow through with a solid act of volunteerism!

8. Donate Skin Care Essentials

If you think your hands are dry imagine what the nurses and frontline workers have to deal with! I know my cracked hands appreciate GOOD lotion.

Nurses deserve to be pampered so donate the good stuff – from lotion to face cream to chapstick!

Donate lotion, hand creams, etc. to organizations like Donate Beauty

9. Advocate for Nurses

Advocate for fair policies and compensation. Whatever feels right for your values – but say something, do something, let your voice be heard. For me this includes finding ways to waive student debt for frontline workers, demanding proper PPE and work safety, and increasing wages.

10. Spread the word about how awesome nurses are.

At 7:00 in our town, and maybe in yours too, we all get out and whoop and holler and honk to thank our frontline workers. Participate in that!

You can also download any of these signs and post them around, or send them to a nurse you know. I created these all and they are free for you to print and share! The PDF files are big so if you want them just send your email address and I’ll zip them your way!