Kirkhof College of Nursing creates campaign for public to thank nurses

National Nurses Week and the opportunity to thank those frontline workers could not have come at a better time.

The Kirkhof College of Nursing has created a campaign designed for the public to thank nurses for their dedication, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Electronic thank you cards are available for people to print and write a message of support. The cards can be sent to nurses via email or U.S. mail, or posted on social media. National Nurses Week is May 6-12.

Cynthia McCurren, dean of KCON, said the goal of the campaign is to reach nurses in all sectors of health care, from hospitals to long-term care to home health to health departments, and "let them know they are heroes and deserve our deepest appreciation."

"We know the coronavirus pandemic is challenging our colleagues in the nursing workforce like nothing has since World War II," McCurren said. "We sought a creative way to let nurses know how much their knowledge, life-saving skills, compassion and courage means to our communities."

Along with individual thank you notes, KCON envisions schools, churches and communities adopting a care setting and flooding it with cards. For large numbers of cards, people are encouraged to contact a facility first to find the best delivery method.

More information on the Thank You, Nurses campaign is posted online at gvsu.edu/kcon.