We are living through difficult and heavy days, here in Minnesota and across the country. While the circumstances may look different from place to place, the weight of uncertainty, grief, and strain is something many are carrying. Nurses experience this not as observers, but as professionals who stand closest to people during their most vulnerable moments. 

This is not about politics. | This is about people.

As nurses, we may not all agree on politics or perspectives, but we are united by something deeper and more enduring: our ethics, our values, and our shared purpose. Nursing calls us to stand together, not in uniformity of opinion, but in commitment to human dignity, ethical care, and compassion for all.

The pandemic shaped us in ways that will never fade. COVID taught us how quickly circumstances can change, how deeply fear and isolation affect health, and how essential calm, ethical leadership is during crisis. Those lessons matter now. From COVID, we learned the importance of presence. When families could not be together, nurses became the steady human connection. In today’s challenges, that same presence is needed. Today, we can be present through listening without judgment, showing up consistently, and offering reassurance these are some of our most powerful tools.

Through COVID, we also learned the value of evidence-based practice. In times of confusion and emotion, nurses relied on science, professional standards, and ethical grounding. That discipline continues to guide us today as we care for individuals affected by stress, trauma, and uncertainty.

The pandemic reminded us that no nurse carries the load alone. Checking in on colleagues, sharing responsibility, and supporting one another are essential to sustaining care. Caring for each other and staying connected directly strengthens the care we provide.

Compassion remains central for others and for us. Professionalism includes recognizing when we need rest, support, and grace, just as much as our patients do. Across our country and beyond our borders, nurses are modeling what the profession looks like at its best:

• Remaining calm and grounded in emotionally charged moments 
• Providing care that honors dignity and humanity without judgment 
• Supporting coworkers who are stretched thin 
• Holding fast to ethical and professional standards As nurses, we know it is not only what we say but what is heard and what is seen. Our presence, our actions, and our consistency speak powerfully.

As nurses, we know it is not only what we say but what is heard and what is seen. Our presence, our actions, and our consistency speak powerfully.

As nurses, we are united by values that transcend any single moment: integrity in our work, science in our decisions, compassion in our care, and respect for every human life. This is our purpose as nurses, to stand together and be a steady, trusted presence. 

Thank you for continuing to show up with care, steadiness, and purpose. Our country and our profession are better .