May 14, 2012

Students assemble care packages for nurses in Iraq, Afghanistan

In the spirit of National Nurses’ Week, students at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing worked together to acknowledge the important contributions to care being made by nurses serving with the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continuing a “tradition” begun in 2011, the school’s chapter of the National Student Nurses’ Association assembled care packages that included recent nursing journals, personal letters and cards, toiletries, easy-to-carry snacks, popular magazines and other items. The gifts were donated by faculty and students or purchased with more than $500 in donations from friends and family of current students, alumni and faculty.

On Thursday, the NSNA shipped the packages to nurses at six overseas sites. Addresses were provided by the Army Nurse Corps, U.S. Air Force nurses, Air National Guard nurses and School of Nursing alumni.

“People responded well to our effort, most acknowledging the great sacrifices that military nurses make in caring for our troops,” said Felicia Rockko, president of the Johns Hopkins NSNA chapter. “We are happy to provide these comfort items to our fellow nurses overseas to demonstrate our appreciation and support.”

Nurses’ Week, sponsored by the American Nursing Association, begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing.