Published on May 7, 2020 by Sara Roman  
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This year, Nurses Week and Teacher Appreciation Week fall during an unprecedented time in history. Around the world, nurses and teachers are facing new realities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For many Ida Moffett School of Nursing faculty members, the new realities have required a transition of both teaching and practice.

In addition to the week of celebration taking place during a pandemic, Nurses Week and Teacher Appreciation Week also fell during the same week that the Ida Moffett School of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing class of 2020 would have had their commencement ceremony. 

While faculty were focusing on making the class of 2020 feel special through personal videos of congratulations and slideshows of memories, the class of 2020 wanted to make sure the faculty were celebrated too.

The members of the class of 2020 provided the faculty with a video of personalized messages thanking them for their dedication to teaching and the field of nursing. They also shared some of their favorite memories from nursing school.

“Throughout these tough times, they were truly rock star teachers,” said senior Marina Egbaria. “They continued to provide us with the best education despite the circumstances. As graduation approached for our class, we knew they were all are under a lot of stress, so we just wanted to tell them that their effort wasn’t unnoticed and that we are so thankful to have an amazing group of teachers!”

The faculty members were incredibly thankful but also not surprised by the level of thoughtfulness shown by the class.

“The class of 2020 will be a remarkable group of nurses. They continue to show their ability to provide compassionate care. This video is another example of the way they can see a need, step up and truly care for those around them. We are incredibly proud of this group of seniors and truly feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be part of their journey,” said Lora Shelton, professor and undergraduate program chair.

Many of these students will be joining hospital staff at Children's of Alabama, St. Vincent's, Brookwood Baptist, UAB and more upon graduation.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.