Nurses have been the unsung heroes of the health care world for a long time. COVID-19 has only further complicated their demanding and important jobs. Once a year, the country dedicates a day to honor the nurses that keep patients alive and safe.

It’s #NationalNursesDay and the tribute and love are flowing on social media.

Millions of nurses are staffing hospitals across the country fighting on the front lines of the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak. The U.S. is fighting the largest and deadliest outbreak in the world with more than 1 million Americans testing positive for the virus. More than 72,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19.

Women are by and large the majority of nurses.

Women are at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Ninety-one percent of nurses are women, as well as 74 percent of health care workers and 62 percent of pharmaceutical professionals. The nurses handle a lot of the day-to-day operations of caring for sick and dying patients. Like many of the health care workers, nurses are putting themselves at risk of contracting the virus every day they report for work.

A nurse’s job entails the most intimate day-to-day care of patients putting them at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

Health care workers are willingly putting themselves at the repeated risk of contracting COVID-19. The health care workers at the front lines are keeping our loved ones safe and healthy as they get the virus under control.

Some nurses have had to take another role during this time as counter-protesters against people protesting against the stay-at-home orders.

A small number of residents in states across the U.S. have gathered against COVID guidelines to protest what they see as a loss of their freedoms. People are angered that they are being told to stay home as nonessential stores and hair salons remain closed. People on socials media have praised the nurses standing guard to better protect the rest of the population as people disregard stay-at-home orders to protest.

Nurses are holding the line to save as many lives as possible during this pandemic.

They work around the clock to make sure that people who are being hospitalized with COVID-19 have a fighting chance of surviving the pandemic. Thank you to all of the nurses doing the work necessary to get our society back online day in and day out.

Take the time today to thank all the nurses in your life.

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