30 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 7, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
nurses week
BY ISABELLE BOUSQUETTE
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
National Nurses Week takes place from
May 6 to May 12. It’s a week each year to
honor the commitment, dedication and
hard work of those in the nursing profession.
Th is year, honoring our nurses is
more important than ever.
Th ey are risking their lives on the front
line every day, helping fi ght the coronavirus
pandemic. Th e American Nurses
Association and the World Health
Organization have already declared 2020
to be the global “Year of the Nurse.”
So this week, take a moment to celebrate
nurses in Queens and around the
world.
We’ve celebrated National Nurses Week
since 1954. Th e fi rst National Nurses
Week occurred in October and commemorated
the hundredth anniversary
of Florence Nightingale’s work in Crimea.
Nightingale was a famous British nurse
who fought to improve conditions for the
sick and whose advocacy set the standard
for modern nursing today.
In 1854, she traveled to the frontline
of the Crimean War where she selfl essly
tended to wounded soldiers.
In 1982, President Reagan declared May
6 National Recognition Day for Nurses.
Th en, in 1990, the American Nurses
Association extended that day into a
week of celebrations, culminating on
Nightingale’s birthday on May 12.
In the past, this has been a week to
honor nurses with banquets, seminars
and celebrations. Now, those types of
gatherings are impossible at a moment
when nurses are most in need of acknowledgement
and encouragement.
Still, there are other ways to celebrate
National Nurses Week. Check them out
below:
Empty Your Purse to Feed a Nurse:
Since late March, Ruby’s Cafe has been
bringing meals to nurses and doctors
working long shift s. Th ey are serving hospitals
all over the city, but are struggling
to meet demand. By donating to their
GoFundMe page, you help them in their
quest to provide healthcare workers with
high-quality hot meals.
Send Coff ee and Gratitude to Long
Island Nurses: Pipeline Coff ee in Long
Island has decided to give back to their
community with the #PoweredbyPipeline
movement. Th ey donate freshly brewed
coff ee to local doctors and nurses. Th ey
want to show their appreciation for
“superheroes in scrubs” by “keeping their
cups full and their spirits up.” You can
contribute by donating to their Venmo (@
pipeline-Rvc or @pipeline-wantagh).
Give a Nurse a Shoutout: Take a moment
to write a social media post about a nurse
who inspires you. You can share it on
Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, you can
send it to the Australian College of Nursing’s
virtual Inspiration Wall. Th ey are collecting
stories and shoutouts about nurses that have
been important in people’s lives and using
them to create one big wall of positivity.
Send a Card to Local Nurses: For a
small donation, New York Presbyterian
will send a card on your behalf to a nurse
at the hospital. You can direct your card to
a specifi c nurse or to a team at the hospital.
You can also add a personalized message
to let NYC’s healthcare heroes know
you’re thinking of them!
Head to Florence Nightingale’s 200th
Birthday Party (on Zoom)! Florence
Nightingale would’ve turned 200 this
year! So to celebrate nurses around the
world you are invited to join her Zoom
birthday party on May 12. Th ere are three
separate parties to accommodate those in
various time zones. Nurses will be able to
meet others in their profession and share
inspirational stories with each other about
working during the COVID-19 crisis.
How you can
celebrate National
Nurses Week
St. Francis Prep donates PPE supplies
The staff at Flushing Hospital Medical Center thanks St. Francis Prep for their donation of PPE
supplies. St. Francis Prep also donated PPE supplies to Brandywine Assisted Living in Little Neck.
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