Celebrating World Health Day 2020: Support Nurses and Midwives

What is World Health Day?

World Health Day is celebrated every April 7th to create awareness of a specific health theme or to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. Over the past 50 years, World Health Day has addressed important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change. The celebration is marked by activities that extend beyond the day itself and serves as an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health.

This year, the tagline for World Health Day is “Support nurses and midwives” — and it couldn’t be more timely. As the WHO points out on its website, “Nurses and other health workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 response – providing high quality, respectful treatment and care, leading community dialogue to address fears and questions and, in some instances, collecting data for clinical studies. Quite simply, without nurses, there would be no response.”

We’re also continuing to celebrate nurses all throughout 2020, the Year of the Nurse, as designated by the World Health Organization. The WHO has made it a year-long mission to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging conditions they often face and advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce. At Health Carousel Travel Nursing, we want to do everything we can to elevate the work of amazing nurses and aid them on their journeys to bring care to patients across America.

As we observe World Health Day and appreciate what nurses and midwives are doing to help treat and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to provide you with a list of ways you can support these irreplaceable healthcare workers.

How You Can Support Nurses and Midwives

As nurses are working on the front lines of the response to COVID-19, many others are wondering what they can do to help. We’re including a list of ways to support nurses and midwives who are working right now in a variety of ways. If you’re a nurse, share this list with friends and loved ones who aren’t on the front lines but want to make an impact on the COVID-19 response.

Donate Money

• CDC Foundation: Supports the critical health protection work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is raising emergency response funds to enable the CDC to respond to COVID-19. Donate here: https://give.cdcfoundation.org/give/269833/#!/donation/checkout 
• Center for Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund: Supports nonprofit organizations working in areas identified as having high numbers of affected individuals and those working with the most vulnerable populations. One area of emphasis includes helping health-care workers with purchases of masks, gowns, gloves and other protective equipment. Donate here: https://disasterphilanthropy.org/donate-to-the-cdp-covid-19-response-fund/ 
• Direct Relief: The organization is delivering protective masks, exam gloves, and isolation gowns to health-care organizations (U.S. and internationally) in areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Donate here: https://www.directrelief.org/ 
• Team Rubicon: Recruits military veterans to help people recover from disasters. During the COVID-19 crisis, the organization is helping local, state and federal partners deliver food, water, and shelter; run testing sites; and more. Donate here: https://fundraise.teamrubiconusa.org/give/277049/#!/donation/checkout 
• GlobalGiving has launched a coronavirus relief fund. Donations go toward medical supplies, delivering essential items to struggling families and older individuals in quarantined cities, feeding children that rely on school meals and more. Donate here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/coronavirus-relief-fund/ 

Donate Supplies

• Request, give or make PPE here: https://getusppe.org/ 

Donate Blood

• American Red Cross: Since blood drives are now canceled, healthy individuals are needed for blood donations now more than ever. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS to find a local donation site or make an appointment here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive 
• America’s Blood Centers: Find and donate to independent blood centers across the country here https://americasblood.org/for-donors/find-a-blood-center/ 

Donate Your Time

• Offer to help with childcare and their pets while they’re navigating a busier-than-ever schedule
• Call and check-in with a friend or loved one who is working the frontlines

Listen To Their Advice

• Stay home, wash your hands, and practice social distancing

Give Thanks

• Thank all Healthcare Heroes!

 We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the great work our nurses are doing in the field.

We are so grateful for our community of nurses — on & off the front line. Please be safe out there and know that we are here to support you through it all. Here are a few stories from our nurses: 

Healthcare Hero: Shelby, RN 

ER Nurse, Shelby reminds us to stay strong during such an unknown time. Thank you for putting others before yourself Shelby. You are a true Healthcare Hero!” – Jenna, Shelby’s recruiter 

Healthcare Hero: Mary K.

“When I leave work all I can think is “Did I do everything I could to prevent myself from getting this virus?” Even from those that are asymptomatic. The hardest part is being away from family. My hubby is always my rock and voice of reason and currently he is back home in WV.” – Mary, ER RN

“We understand that this process is not easy for any of you. We understand that you continue to fight even when times feel almost impossible. We want to express our gratitude for everything you are doing. We will continue to support and provide you with the information that you need while we stay at home and help flatten the curve.” – Anthony Reynolds, Mary’s Recruiter