Few things are more heroic than risking your own life to save another, and this is exactly what nurses have been doing since the pandemic started. Over 2,900 healthcare workers have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic — with nurses making up a large part of this number. Frontline healthcare workers have shown feats of valor akin to superheroes as the pandemic has raged on.
Over 77.9 million patients across the globe recovered from COVID-19, in no small part due to the sacrifices made by nurses. Heroes deserve to be celebrated, and this was the spark that encouraged the launch of Nurses Week and National Nurses Day, which takes place on May 6th of every year. This week is a time to commemorate and appreciate nurses, such as Florence Nightingale, the legend who founded modern-day nursing. Let’s take a look at three campaigns we love that honored nurses for their noble profession and the sacrifices they make to protect our health.
1. Not All Heroes Wear Capes Campaign
Joes+Bros, a coffee shop in Ireland, ran a passionate campaign providing meals to frontline workers to show appreciation for their efforts. They titled their campaign “Not all Heroes Wear Capes,” and collected over €7,000 worth of fundraiser money. With this money, they managed to provide lunch to over one thousand nurses and healthcare workers, showing them just how grateful the community was for their hard work.
Related: Ironmark Delivers Pizza to the Frontline Heroes
2. Thank a Nurse, Wear a Mask Campaign
In an iconic post, one nurse shared a photo of facial bruises from constantly wearing masks while tending to COVID-19 patients. Other nurses, from her hospital and elsewhere, came forward to share their own experiences with the relentless work they’ve faced during the pandemic. What better way to thank them for their sacrifices than to encourage pandemic safety best practices through soulful country music?
The “Thank a Nurse, Wear a Mask” campaign launched at the end of December 2020, once we were already well into the pandemic. Country music stars, Brown and Gray ran this touching campaign. They wrote a heartfelt song “You Didn’t Have To” to honor the thousands of nurses who put their lives on the line to help millions of patients recover during the pandemic. Gray stated, “We are asking everyone who loves our song to mask up, wash your hands, and practice social distancing to honor the sacrifice our nurses and frontline workers are making for us.”
This campaign resonated with many people because it showed nurses that their efforts are seen and not in vain, providing them with the motivation they need to keep doing their job.
Related: Elements of a Good Social Media Campaign
3. United in Gratitude
Heroes act selflessly, and expressing gratitude and appreciation for them may just give them the motivation they need to keep pushing forward. The United in Gratitude Campaign was initiated by Omnicom Health Group for this purpose. They started raising funds for healthcare workers to get essential medical supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so they could continue to carry out their jobs safely. Through this campaign, nurses were shown that the community cares about their well-being and are grateful for their selfless work.
Support Nurses and Show Your Appreciation Today
Nurses Week is an inspiring initiative that aims to appreciate these selfless workers. Nurses have lost sleep and health - sometimes even their lives - while caring for the masses during this pandemic.
This Nurses Week, show nurses you care by:
- Donating to organizations that support nurses.
- Dropping off a meal or helping them with personal matters.
- Following healthcare advice and instructions.
- Showing compassion and appreciating what they do by thanking them and spreading awareness of their noble work through your social media.
Our elderly, our young, and our sick have recovered through the diligence and fearless dedication that nurses have shown during the pandemic. This year, make sure you take the time to thank a nurse for everything they do for the community. For help with implementing social media campaigns, contact our team.
