Thank a nurse on the COVID-19 frontlines

The world is celebrating the nursing profession from May 6, National Nurses Day, to May 12, the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. This is your chance to show your appreciation for their dedication in the fight against coronavirus as well as the work they do to keep us healthy all year long.

Nurses are taking on tremendous responsibilities throughout the evolving COVID-19 crisis. Dedicated and resilient nurses are ensuring everyone has the care they need. In many under-served communities in North Carolina, where there are shortages of physicians, patients benefit from highly trained advanced practice registered nurses who are stepping up to provide care during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolinians in rural and under-served communities faced challenges getting access to care when and where they needed it. Because advance practice registered nurses have the training, skills and education to provide quality care, many states have modernized their health care laws so that patients fully benefit from their training to help reduce wait time for appointments or travel distances to access health care.

Take a moment to say thanks to a nurse who is working to treat coronavirus patients. Use the sample letter attached, or write your own. The letters will be sent to the North Carolina Nurses Association where they will be scanned and e-mailed to nurses currently on the COVID-19 frontlines.

Prevent the spread of coronavirus by staying up to date and following guidance from the CDC and your state and local public health departments.