Educators, nurses deserve appreciation

It’s part of human nature to take things for granted. We’re reminded of their value when we need them most. That certainly applies to people who provide essential services

So it is with the public’s attitude toward nurses and teachers. There was a groundswell of support for health care workers and educators during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. People in both fields had to make tremendous adjustments to continue doing their invaluable work amid pandemic restrictions. Nurses put their own health at risk to protect the lives of others.

COVID-19 remains a danger and is likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future, but the peak of the pandemic appears to be behind us. Case levels, hospitalizations and deaths are far lower than they were in the worst of times. The performance of nurses, teachers and so many other essential workers during the pandemic gives us confidence that they will continue to be up to handling whatever COVID-19 challenges remain.

In this moment when things are starting to get back to normal, it’s imperative that we never forget the sacrifices nurses and teachers make and the great work they do on a regular basis, not just in times of crisis.

Teachers and nurses traditionally are honored at this time of year. Teacher Appreciation Week, which concludes Saturday, takes place the first full week in May. Today is National Nurses Day, which kicks off a week of activities celebrating people in the profession, It concludes on Thursday May 12, the birthday of modern nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.

Nursing already was a tremendously challenging field before the pandemic struck. Nurses are on the front lines in health care, often working in situations ordinary people would prefer to avoid and enduring unpredictable, irregular schedules. They play a crucial role in saving lives, restoring people back to good health and educating patients and caregivers. When people are suffering anxiety, nurses work to calm them.

When the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic hit and most people were staying home, nurses were out there dealing firsthand with the health crisis while enduring shortages of key supplies and protective equipment. Not only did they put their own physical well-being at risk, they had to work through the tremendous mental strain associated with the death and severe illness all around them. When sick and dying patients could not be with loved ones, it was up to nurses to provide comfort.

Teachers have had to deal with plenty of challenges of their own. It started with the difficult few months at the end of 2019-20 school year as educators struggled to adapt to a sudden switch from full inperson to full virtual learning. They did admirable work under those difficult circumstances, then came roaring back the following fall far better prepared for the new reality.

But no amount of planning could fully prepare teachers for the tremendous test they have faced. Many of them at one point or another have had to deliver instruction virtually, in-person or often some combination of the two. COVIDrelated school closures forced them to make adjustments to their routine literally overnight. They’ve responded to the challenge beautifully.

We’re sorry to note that people in both fields often don’t get the respect they deserve. Educators often are denigrated by people who don’t understand just how much work teachers do outside the classroom. And nurses tend to bear the brunt of patients’ and families’ frustrations, typically for reasons beyond their control.

It’s worth noting that both of these observances took time to catch on. It required decades of lobbying before the passage of a 1982 resolution establishing May 6 as a national recognition day for nurses. The same was true for an official observance honoring teachers, which also came about in the 1980s.

Let us remember today and all year round that teachers and nurses deserve our lasting respect for doing essential and difficult work at all times. It shouldn’t take a pandemic to remind us.