Nurses Week - Red Cross Celebrates Health, Mental Health Volunteers

By Linda Fahey, DNP, RN, CENP, Red Cross Chief Nurse

As the Chief Nurse for the American Red Cross, I can think of no greater professional reward during this celebration month than to reach around our virtual table and thank each of you for the contribution that you make every day achieving our vision. As with any celebration of nursing and especially within the Red Cross, that recognition also extends to our health professional colleagues who walk in-step with us in meeting this vision. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the more than 15,400 health and mental health volunteers as well as our Red Cross employed health professionals for helping us promote health and resilience within our communities.

The vision for Red Cross Nursing and Health is:
Ensure a prepared, nimble and diverse workforce of engaged Red Cross nurses and other health professionals enterprise-wide that supports volunteerism across the lifespan and promotes health and resilience within our communities.

Since last celebrating this special month in 2024, you have been busy! You provided health services to people impacted by Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Helene and Milton, as well as those suffering during fires across the country, including the tremendous disaster in California in early 2025. This spring, floods and tornadoes have been relentless across the Midwest and South and you have been there to care. You have also filled countless other roles within the Red Cross ─ helping secure the nation’s blood supply, providing life-saving apheresis services across the country, supporting our military and their families, providing lifesaving training to our communities, advocating for the measles and rubella initiative, and serving as leaders within the Red Cross. Many of you fill multiple roles to help achieve mission and during this special month, we look back and celebrate all that you have achieved. Thank you!

In the true spirit of volunteerism, one of our key humanitarian principles, this month is also a time to look forward and prepare. The United States experienced a major disaster every 4 days in 2024. 2025 may be outpacing that trend. While our work is important in every service that we provide, the need is growing in disaster. If you are able, please consider adding to your toolbelt of skills and completing the disaster health services training so you can respond in your community, your region, or even deploy to help. Together we can carry on the proud tradition of Red Cross nursing and answer this call ─ this challenge to serve ─ with certain knowledge that next year for Nurses Month, we will once again celebrate our tremendous successes. Happy Nurses Day, Week, and Month!

A Conversation with IFRC Lead Volunteer and President, Kate Forbes
Please celebrate with us as we welcome a special guest speaker on May 14. Join us for a conversation with Kate Forbes, lead volunteer and president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). A long time American Red Cross and IFRC volunteer, she was elected president of the IFRC in December of 2023, only the second woman to hold this position. Her travels to visit with the Movement’s volunteers — there are 16 million of us — have taken her all over the world. including areas of conflict such as Gaza and Ukraine. She has seen firsthand how our work has been impacted by recent funding changes in the humanitarian sector. There will be ample time for questions. This event will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET. Register here.