In these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to take a moment to thank you and acknowledge the valuable contribution that you and nursing are making to keep us healthy, and to care for those who aren’t.

We are so, so proud to be nurses today. To see our profession in action has been nothing short of miraculous. Nurses have always been on the front lines, have always sacrificed to heal and to make others feel better. But the last few weeks have brought out the best in every nurse, even when we thought we had seen that already.

We read stories, we see it ourselves: Nurses are everywhere, taking risks when needed, fighting this new disease on our shores, comforting people who are scared, helping people who are hurting, doing without sleep so that others can rest more easily.

Thank you for your wisdom, your strength, your service, your kindness. Thank you for being the best in the health field. You are helping the population with your leadership and caring.

No one thought that the Year of the Nurse would look like this… but it does, and you’re living up to the cause, in every way, of trying to keep healthy your communities and our nation.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you. You remain in our thoughts as we monitor this evolving situation and anticipate tomorrow.

Thank you, again.

Hassmiller  is the senior adviser for nursing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the director of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action.

Reinhard is senior vice president and director, AARP Public Policy Institute, and chief strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America, which runs the Campaign.