(MURFREESBORO) Across the nation, Wednesday, May 6, 2020, marked the beginning of "NATIONAL NURSES WEEK". Nurse Practitioner Lacey Bolden at the Saint Louise Clinic is the May Heart for Healing recipient.

This year's tribute to nurses takes on new meaning as we honor these front-line heroes who are protecting us all during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saint Louise Clinic Nurses Gathered

The staff at the Highland Avenue facility were called together at 1:00 o'clock Wednesday afternoon (5/6/2020), but they thought that it was a routine meeting. That changed as WGNS' Bart Walker told about the Heart for Healing honor and how a listeners had nominated Lacey Bolden for the honor. Suddenly the crowd cheered and applauded her as she came forward to receive the award.

The listener who nominated Lacey Bolden wrote, "I was new to the area and didn't know a soul. I had a tightness to my chest and knew something was not right. Friends told me to go to the Saint Louise Clinic, and that's where I met Nurse Practitioner Bolden. I feared for the worst, but she had me back on my feet in no time."

The woman said, "Nurse Bolden's encouragement and infectious smile changed her life forever."

Although she was presented the award on National Nurses Day, it officially was the beginning of NATIONAL NURSES WEEK, which continues through May 12, 2020. That date is Florence Nightingale's birthday. It was first observed in 1954 to honor the centennial milestone of Nightingale's pioneering work in Crimea.

Nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare system in the United States. There are over 3-million nurses safeguarding America, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Again, a special thank you to the nurses in this community and especially to Nurse Practitioner Lacey Bolden, who is the May HEART FOR HEALING recipient.