If you know a nurse in your life, take a moment to thank them because Thursday is National Nurses Day.
In honor of those frontline heroes, 10 News spoke to some local nurses to share their stories from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carilion Clinic ICU nurse Mary Rogers said that when the pandemic first hit, she never thought it would last this long.
She said she’s thankful for the support nurses to have received from the community.
Rogers got into nursing because she loves helping people and being able to bond with patients and their families.
“We’ve definitely become that bridge, so to speak, between family members and patients and I find that very meaningful, sort of forming those connections,” said Rogers.
Carrie Greene is the unit manager of the Versatile Acuity Unit at Lynchburg General Hospital. The unit was converted to be a COVID-19 intensive care unit last year.
Greene said she learned more about the meaning of her job this past year than in her entire career.
Although it’s been tough, she’s grateful to be able to support COVID-19 patients and families in their time of need.
“We pray with them. We talk to them. We hold their hands when no one else can. So it really has helped us turned into, as a profession, a higher level of caregiver,” said Greene.
These nurses said the best way to show appreciation is to be thoughtful about how your actions can affect others and be kind.