Let's get real. Nurses are overworked and underappreciated. They get called as "Healthcare Heroes" and are known as the backbone of healthcare. However, although many people acknowledge this, they still are not supported enough and get little in return. Nurses are overworked now more than ever due to a surge in COVID-cases, and many have left their institutions or nursing all together, creating a critical staffing crisis. As part of Labor Day, it is crucial that we honor the accomplishments and contributions that nurses have made to our society and show appreciation for them. Here are just some of their prodigious achievements during the pandemic:
1) A Nurse Turned COVID Vaccine Vials into a Beautiful Piece of Art
Laura Weiss, a nurse in Colorado, took empty COVID-19 vaccine vials and made them into beautiful art, making tribute to her fellow healthcare workers. "I had noticed all these hundreds and hundreds of empty vaccine vials that were otherwise going to be wasted, and I thought they were just really beautiful and wanted to do something significant and meaningful with them," Weiss said. She got permission to use the Moderna vaccine vials and created a stunning chandelier.
2) School Nurses across Seaford School District in Delaware Create an Ingenious COVID Response Plan
Using their extensive knowledge in the field of public health, these school nurses established response plans, developed educational material on hygiene and health practices, delivered food to families in need, and even created a system to return medications to students’ parents with no contact using their critical thinking skills.
3) Lizzy Mulcahy (MSN) Launched a COVID-19 Remote Monitoring Program
At Ochsner Health in Louisiana, Lizzy helped launch a coronavirus remote monitoring program that helped save lives by monitoring COVID-19 symptoms. She brought her deep knowledge of patient care, collaborative practices, and deep connections throughout the health system to design, staff, and gain buy-in’s for a highly effective program that has now provided care to more than 3,500 patients. In the end, Lizzy took steps to problem-solve, innovate, and lead positive change, making a lasting impact on her patients, the health system, and her colleagues.
4) Garrett Chan (PhD, RN, CEO of HealthImpact) Created a Platform that Served as a Matching System for Vaccination Events throughout California
Garrett Chan made a website that addressed a critical health equity need by enabling passionate healthcare volunteers to provide vaccinations for underserved communities in California, including agricultural workers, who would not otherwise have access to this type of healthcare. In just six weeks, VaxForce facilitated five vaccination events and the administration of 1,030 doses. Garrett’s commitment to health equity in a year with unprecedented challenges has made a positive impact in the lives of many.
5) Laura Reichhardt, MS, AGPCNP, RN of Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Advocated for Policies that would Better Position Healthcare Workers in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic
As frontline healthcare workers, nurses have had a completely unique vantage factor into the position of the authorities in making sure adequate resources for pandemic response – and Laura used that perception to the advantage of the greater good. Working carefully with state authorities, Laura developed the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation to waive licensure requirements for brand new AD, BS, and NP-DNP graduates so that they may be employed in Hawaii in addition to other states’ health systems. This attempt was essential in managing COVID-19 surges not simply in Hawaii, but in other states as well, because it strengthened the nursing workforce to help deal with staffing shortages during the pandemic.
In the end, nurses play a huge role in healthcare, and they make a lasting impact in patient care. Their list of achievements is endless, and their passion and dedication is just indescribable. So next time you visit a local hospital, how about leaving a small “thank you” note for the nurse?
Works Cited:
Johnson, Lauren M. “Colorado Nurse TRANSFORMS Covid VACCINE Vials into a Work of Art to Show Appreciation for Health Care Workers.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/09/05/us/nurse-creates-chandelier-moderna-vaccine-vials-trnd/index.h tml.
“Meet 15 Nurses Who Disrupted Healthcare through the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Discover Nursing, 4 May 2021,
nursing.jnj.com/nursing-news-events/nurses-leading-innovation/meet-15-nurses-who-disru pted-healthcare-through-the-covid-19-pandemic.