‘Light on Your Darkest Day’ Highlights Gratitude for Emergency Nurses

ENA asks the public to thank emergency nurses through new campaign

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (Dec. 23, 2024) – Anyone who has been in an emergency department—as a patient or with a loved one—may recall feelings of fear, concern, confusion and pain. They might consider that visit to be one of their darkest days, until a nurse was there to shine a little light with a comforting word, an extra blanket or a small kindness that made the experience a bit easier.

The Emergency Nurses Association invites patients, family members and caregivers everywhere to reflect some of that light back onto the nurses who shine in many ways above and beyond the expert clinical care they give.

By participating in ENA’s Light on Your Darkest Day campaign, anyone can honor these professionals worldwide through a digital appreciation board, videos and other stories.

“I’ve been a nurse for many years, but I, too, have been on the receiving end of that special care emergency department nurses provide that helped me through a very dark day,” said 2024 ENA President Chris Dellinger, MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN, who shared a story of her own as part of the campaign. “We might not even remember the name of the nurses, but we remember how they made us feel, and this campaign is a great way to express gratitude.”

Visit ENA.org/light to learn how to share a story and to read about nurses who brought light into a dark day in the emergency department.