Celebrating National Hospital Week and National Nurses Month 2020

Now more than ever, Hancock Health is proud to make health possible in Hancock County and beyond. Each day, our healthcare workers innovate and adapt to address the needs of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. May brings National Nurses Month and National Hospital Week, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the healing that hospitals and medical professionals make possible through their dedication, compassion, and care.

You may not have the opportunity to visit a hospital or hug a nurse who has impacted your life this month. But we can all take a moment to thank our healthcare workers. Small actions of gratitude can make a big difference. Join us in warming the hearts of these heroes throughout the month of May.

This year, the American Hospital Association is inviting you to participate in “A Week of Thanks” by encouraging people to create videos and messages of gratitude from the safety of their own homes. If you choose to join in the fun, please use the hashtag #HospitalWeek and tag @HancockRegional in your posts on Twitter and Facebook, so we can follow along.

Each year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) dedicates the week of May 6 is National Nurses Week. Traditionally, ANA celebrates National Nurses Week from May 6-12 each year. For 2020, the organization expanded to a month-long celebration of nurses.

National Nurses Week was first observed in October of 1954. The celebration marked the 100^th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s service in the Crimean War, in which she sent reports back to Britain about the horrible conditions under which wounded troops were suffering there. Her dispatches and subsequent advocacy became the foundation upon which the training of modern nurses was based.

In 1974, the International Council of Nurses proclaimed that May 12 would serve as International Nurses Day, in honor of Nightingale’s birthday. ICN has celebrated International Nurses Day on the date ever since. President Nixon designated National Nurses Week to take place from May 6-12. In the 1990s, the ANA formalized the week-long celebration, and it has remained in place ever since.

So to all the nurses of Hancock Health: Thank you for everything you do every day–especially now when you’re on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. Thank you for the selflessness and expertise you bring to your work each day. While we know that no amount of recognition is enough, we’re proud to honor your incredible service to our health system, our patients, and our families.

Are there nurses you’d like to thank? Share them with us on Facebook and Twitter. Let’s show them we know how amazing they are.