BY KAREN RICE OUR HEALTH NWA

Nurses have long been unsung heroes of our medical community. According to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, there are over 52,000 licensed nurses in our state and 3,280 in Northwest Arkansas. These include registered nurses( RNs), licensed practical nurses( LPNs), licensed psychiatric technician nurses( LPTNs), registered nurse practitioners( RNPs) and advanced practice RNs( APRNs).

The vital role nurses play in health care settings in our community and across the globe was perhaps never more apparent than in the past year as the world confronted the COVID-19 pandemic and realized just how invaluable nurses are to public health. When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, nurses were on the front lines in the battle against the virus, and have remained there ever since. Globally, data from the International Council of Nurses reports that more than 1,500 nurses lost their lives to COVID-19. That data is sobering and serves as a reminder that nurses put their lives on the line each day they go to work. Such sacrifices are worthy of widespread support, and many in our community have risen to the occasion, delivering treats and meals to nurses in our hospitals, placing signs in their yards thanking essential workers, writing cards to thank nurses for their efforts. Many have taken to social media to highlight the lengths individual nurses have gone to while helping them or their loved ones who caught the virus or fought other illnesses.

Even after the pandemic is over, nurses will still be working tirelessly to help heal and comfort. National Nurses Week( May 6-12) is a perfect time to than nurses for all they do. Here are some wasy to let the nurses in your life know how much you appreciate them, and thank them for a job well done.

• Support fundraising efforts. Health care facilities have been stretched incredibly thin during the pandemic, so a donation to a charitable organization that benefits health care workers or to the health care organizations or hospitals themselves can be a great way for communities to honor local nurses.

• Lend a helping hand. The work frontline medical workers have done during the pandemic has been endless and exhausting. In recognition of that, volunteering at our local hospitals, blood banks and health centers is a great way for Northwest Arkansas residents to show health care workers their efforts are appreciated.

• Give nurses and their families a night off from cooking. Long shifts in stressful situations have taken a toll on nurses and their families. Neighbors can pitch in by offering to cook and deliver meals or pay for takeout for nurses and their families. It’ s a great way to remind nurses their heroic efforts are not going unnoticed.

• Help out with chores. Before going to the grocery store, text or call a friend or neighbor in the nursing field to see if he or she needs anything from the store. If nurses shop online for their groceries, arrange to pick them up so nurses can spend more time relaxing at home with their families. As the warm weather approaches, offer to mow the lawn or help with leaf pickup.

• Offer discounts to nurses in your community. Local business owners can do their part by offering discounts to nurses and other health care professionals in their communities. A 10 percent discount on a restaurant bill or a nursing discount on a fresh bouquet of flowers can lift nurses’ spirits and reassure them that our community is behind them.

CELEBRATING LOCAL NURSES ISSUE | MAY 2025 9 OURHEALTHNWA. COM