GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Spectrum Health is celebrating nurses in West Michigan by sending a message of appreciation and gratitude on the birthday of a famous nurse, known all across the world.
500 luminarias were lit on the track outside of Butterworth Hospital's Emergency Department. Each luminaria had a message, name, or special meaning to a nurse. Inside were battery-powered candles to light up the track area.
The luminarias lined the perimeter of the track. On the interior, they spelled the message hope seen by a bird's eye view.
"These bags represent a lot of nurses in our organization," said Jodi Mendez, nurse manager with Helen Devos.
Mendez decorated bags for each of her staff in her department and helped set up the luminarias, on a day that marks Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday.
"She’s really important to our profession. She really recognized compassion and just having hands on at the bedside and comforting patients," said Mendez.
Staff all across the hospital are able to see the lights.
"I thought this was a really cool idea to do something at night, and it's at the track so that even the public can get ivolvd if they are wanting to," said Caitlin Hill, registered nurse at Spectrum.
