Nurses are on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, and now those in Windsor-Essex have received a huge pat on the back.
The prestigious Lois A. Fairley Nurse of the Year Award, which is presented to the local nurse who has demonstrated excellence in health care on a consistent basis, has been awarded to all Windsor-Essex nurses.
The announcement was made Wednesday morning by the Windsor-Essex chapter of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO).
The award is named after Lois Fairley, who spent her career serving Windsor-Essex patients as a nurse and head nurse. She also served on the Provincial Board of Directors of RNAO, was president of the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) and served on the program advisory committee at St. Clair College. She died in 2007.
In a statement attributed to the Fairley family, the award is going to all those who have answered the call to fight the pandemic, despite physical and emotional challenges.
"Look at the nurses serving during this COVID-19 pandemic. They are present once again in the lives of the patients and the other professionals who are battling this invisible killer, despite the danger and stress," said the family. "Windsor-Essex can be proud of and grateful for the care shown by our nurses serving in hospitals, public health, home care, clinics, physician's offices, and nursing homes. They all deserve to be celebrated."
To signify this recognition, a bench has been placed in Windsor's Jackson Park with a dedication to all Windsor-Essex nurses. Nurses in the county will also receive a bench in their honour at the Amherstburg Health and Wellness Centre on Richmond Street.
Typically, the community is asked to nominate a deserving nurse for the award each February, by submitting an essay of 500 words or less describing how the nurse has gone above and beyond for patient care.