https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/nurses-are-playing-a-crucial-role-in-this-pandemic-mdash-as-always/ > The World Health Organization declared 2020 to be the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in celebration of the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820–1910). Across the globe many organizations, professional associations, health care systems and other entities were poised to affirm this theme and celebrate the many roles and contributions of nurses in advancing the health and welfare of people in every nation. > It was completely unexpected that this would also be the year of an international health crisis—a pandemic that has now touched every level of society. Today the entire world is grappling with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Nurses are frontline in this environment.