Nurturing. Understanding. Resilient. Strong. Empowered. The World Health Organization has declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse – and now more than ever we see the incredible commitment and courage of nurses. As a nurse myself, and a mother of four, I am in awe of the nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians and other healthcare workers who are protecting New Jersey in the fight against coronavirus. They are putting their own well-being on the line – amid worries for their families as well. The word “hero” seems inadequate to describe their service to us.

Nurses have enormous hearts. They have the ability to empathize and better understand the overwhelming burden on patients, families and our communities at large. But that also means they can be extra demanding of themselves – always pushing to do more, help more, save more. So here’s something that I really encourage my fellow nurses to do in these uncertain and difficult times: Nurture yourselves, with self-understanding and kindness. In these times we also need to endure, use coping skills and lead by example with resilience and strength. Let’s remind ourselves to remain empowered and recognize that we are more than our circumstances. We will rise above and persist through some of the most difficult times many of us have ever faced.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association has shared a few important tips related to selfcare for nurses:

• Be compassionate with yourself and your colleagues as you face this situation together.
• Monitor your own physical and emotional well-being. Caring for yourself allows you to care for others.
• Know that feeling secondary traumatic stress is not a sign of weakness.
• It’s OK not to be OK during this time. Seek help if you need it.

 What can the rest of us do to support our healthcare heroes? We have an obligation to provide our nurses and frontline healthcare workers the support and resources they need to do their jobs. And yes, that includes personal protective equipment (PPE) and childcare. I’m heartened to see that New Jersey has made meaningful progress in bringing more PPE to our facilities. Ten million additional pieces of PPE were secured for New Jersey workers last week, and the business community has also stepped up with generous donations. That’s wonderful – but we still need more.

In addition, Gov. Murphy prioritized healthcare workers and other essential employees for childcare services. NJHA posted a survey for healthcare personnel about their childcare needs and quickly heard from almost 5,000 parents who are on the job while also worrying about their kids at home. I know that feeling all too well, and I’m so glad that together we’ve been able to make strides in this area.

And for all New Jerseyans: Please keep social distancing to flatten the curve and slow the spread of illness. The greatest gift we can give New Jersey’s nurses is a quicker end to this outbreak. And please keep showing your appreciation for these amazing women and men putting themselves on the line to care for others. It’s so important both now, and in the weeks to come.

Sandy Cayo, RN, DNP, is a family nurse practitioner and vice president of clinical performance and transformation at the New Jersey Hospital Association.