Prominent civic and community leaders shadowed Maimonides nurses to get a glimpse into the day-to-day responsibilities of essential health care providers
Maimonides Health hosted its 8th “Nurse for a Day” event, which included local elected officials and community leaders, to bring awareness to the essential service provided by nurses in honor of National Nurses Week. During the daylong event, leaders from across the city were outfitted with personalized nursing uniforms and paired with a registered nurse (RN) to get a glimpse of their day-to-day activities and responsibilities as honorary nurses. The event culminated with a reception, where President and CEO of Maimonides Health Kenneth E. Gibbs delivered remarks and provided each honoree with a participation award.
Among others, this year’s group of honorary nurses included New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, Emmy Award Winning NY1 Reporter Roger Clark, Vicar of the Diocese of Brooklyn Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, and Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation Brock Pierce. This year’s honorary nurses delivered passionate remarks, thanking the nurses for allowing them to get a glimpse of the experience of an essential health care worker, and gathering with them for a luncheon to share experiences and stories.
“‘Nurse for a Day’ is a front row seat to the strength and compassion a nurse brings to work every day,” said Nancy Hagans, President of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). “Our hope with this event is that it will inspire community leaders who participated to spread the word of the work we do here.”
“Nurses are the backbone of our health system, and their contribution to patient care is vital. ‘Nurse for a Day’ is a chance to share the feeling of inspiration, respect, and awe that comes from witnessing what our nurses do and give of themselves every day,” said Maimonides Health President and CEO Kenneth E. Gibbs. “Most importantly, this day reflects back to our nurses, so that they can experience how meaningful, important and wondrous their efforts are.”
Following a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the return of the “Nurse for a Day” event celebrated Maimonides nurses for their dedication to patient care, the local community, and the sacrifices made by nurses across the world while fighting COVID-19 on the front lines.
Maimonides Health is Brooklyn’s largest healthcare system, serving over 320,000 patients each year through the system’s 3 hospitals, 1,800+ physicians and more than 80 community-based practices and outpatient centers. The system is anchored by Maimonides Medical Center, one of the nation’s largest independent teaching hospitals and home to centers of excellence in numerous specialties and Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital (formerly New York Community Hospital), a 130-bed adult medical-surgical hospital; and Maimonides Children’s Hospital, Brooklyn’s only children’s hospital and only pediatric trauma center.
Maimonides’ clinical programs rank among the best in the country for patient outcomes, including its Heart and Vascular Institute, Neurosciences Institute, Bone and Joint Center, and Cancer Center. Maimonides is an affiliate of Northwell Health and a major clinical training site for SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. For additional information, please visit www.maimo.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.