Those of us within the healthcare space recognize the term “Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020.” This was the year to celebrate nurses and nursing like never before. Star Nurses conceived by The Washington Post and The American Nurses Association (ANA) was aimed at recognizing the profession and highlighting those who go above and beyond what is expected. This, my friends, is “meaningful recognition.” 
There is a good chance that each of us has been touched in some way, small or large, by a nursing professional. There is a chance that we considered each of them “stars.” Sponsors, including Virginia Hospital Center, Capella University, The George Washington University Hospital, Children’s National Medical Center, Walden University, and Prudential, joined the initiative and made STAR Nurses a huge success. This week, The Washington Post released the names of the winners in a video presentation and shared the names of the finalists in a supplement to The Washington Post. We applaud the winners, and the finalists. Kudos to each of you. We also applaud all of the 640 nurses whose names were submitted from across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In the words of Katherine Kohls, the Post’s Star Nurses Program Director, “each nomination came with an inspiring, personal, and heartfelt story from patients who had a lifechanging experience…co-workers, and leaders who had witnessed the tireless effort of their teammates, and relatives who watched as the nurse in the family made a difference.” I nominated Amy Stewart for this honor, and although Amy, a Nurse Practitioner, did not make the list of finalists, in my mind, she is a winner! I have seen her in action, and as a nurse and family member, I know her value!
Those of us who are nurses, or who have been touched by a nurse at some time in our lives, know that all nurses are stars. We often hear, “now, more than ever before” because the current pandemic has brought newfound recognition to those who risk their lives so that others may live. This is the time, and this is the place to recognize the nurses within our communities, our families, our circles, who are stars…STARS who SHINE, TEACH, ASSESS, RESPOND, AND SAVE each and every day of their lives.
If you are a nurse who was nominated for this honor, if you are a finalist or a “winner,” please reach out to me at founder@gedinfp.com. On behalf of the non-profit, The Global Education Development Institute, https://gedinfp.com, we’d like to further recognize the nominees. Yes, this is the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020.” We are celebrating nurses and nursing like never before. Join us as we take this beyond the framework of Who’s a Star and allow each of us to shine!
*Photos courtesy of The Washington Post and The American Nurses Association
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