Camillo Proclaims May 12 As 'Nurses Day' In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT—Every year, National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing.

On Wednesday during his weekly COVID-19 briefing, First Selectman Fred Camillo issued a proclamation declaring May 12 as "Nurses Day" in Greenwich to honor nurses for all that they do.

Several nurses and officials from Greenwich Hospital attended Camillo's proclamation announcement on Wednesday. The gesture this year held extra importance because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"The role that nurses play in our lives year in and year out can't be talked about enough. The last 15 months have really shown that when things are bad, you're on the frontline and putting yourselves in harm's way," Camillo told those in attendance. "I'm glad that the country and the world saw how valuable our first responders and healthcare workers are. It's too bad that a pandemic really had to underscore that. Thank you for all that you do."

The proclamation said that, "Nurses provide critical, and many times, lifesaving care to their patients, through primary healthcare services, healthcare education, advice or counseling," and that, "The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to create unique challenges to our healthcare industry, and nurses on the frontlines whether at Greenwich Hospital, in our schools, or in our community, have been the stewards for providing first class care and compassion."

Dr. Stephanie Paulmeno, who has her doctorate in nursing and has been a nurse for over 50 years, also works in the Greenwich Department of Health. She thanked all nurses for the work they do, especially the two full-time and two part-time employees at the Greenwich Health Department, who have worked tirelessly over the last year throughout the pandemic.

"On top of all the work they have to do every day, they've been doing the contact tracing and the vaccinating," she said. "They can't put any of their work aside, and they're running on empty at this point."