Saunders: Nurses deserve our full respect and support for the essential work they do

WASHINGTON — In recognition of National Nurses Week, AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement:

“This week, we gather to say thank you to the courageous nurses who dedicate their lives to keeping our communities and our families healthy. No matter what, we can always count on nurses to be there for us when we need them. Even through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when personal protective equipment was scarce and we didn’t fully understand how the coronavirus spreads, nurses never backed down, putting their lives on the line to deliver the best care possible. And while fighting COVID-19, nurses were simultaneously on the front lines of other public health battles, such as the opioid epidemic. They deserve our full respect and support for the essential work they do to keep our communities thriving.”