I see you.

I have seen you over the last two years, as a keen, albeit quiet, observer of people. 

I have seen you stretched too far, like the elastic bands on the back of your UV irradiated N95; stretched and used to the point of breaking. 

I have witnessed the fear of missing something while stretched – the change in vital signs, the new symptom or sign, the medication sent up while you were busy trying to care for everyone at once. 

I recognize your exhaustion runs deeper than the endless piles of discarded PPE from this pandemic; physical, mental and emotional.  

I see the moral injury, the inner conflict, disillusionment and distress driven by an invisible virus that has ravaged our hospitals of PPE and supplies, our empathy and compassion in the setting of what has felt like endless deaths, our relationships with friends, family and colleagues as the divide between us feels irrevocable at times. 

I hear the silent questions of if this will ever end; if you can keep carrying on in the face of the slow and steady attrition of coworkers; if you still provide value or if you have simply become a pawn in an unwinnable game of chess in a fractured system. 

I see you. We see you. We hear you. You are not alone. So often, we feel so many of the same burdens, but the stoicism of medicine engrained in us too often limits our vocalization. 

But there is more to be seen, to bear witness to and to recognize. For the greatest acts of humanity are often found in the halls of a hospital.  And you, my nursing colleagues, are amongst the greatest of humankind. 

We see your tireless work to provide the best possible care for your patients, even in the worst possible situations. 

We know your intelligence and expertise in medicine; even as knowledge evolves for all of us in this pandemic. 

We value your dedication to extraordinary care and communication. 

We recognize the resilience fortified in the most trying of times, your depth of strength and solidarity in medicine. 

We recognize your emotional intelligence, the capacity to serve as a hand-holder, a counselor, a supporter and cheerleader for your patients, your families, your colleagues and your community. 

We see your endless advocacy for science, for prevention of disease, for the health of our communities, both within and outside the walls of work. 

We know we cannot do our jobs without you.

We see you. You ARE valued; what you do every day makes all the difference in the world. Thank you may never be enough to express gratitude for your presence and impact, but thank you nonetheless.