These Are the Nurses Fighting COVID-19 in the Country’s Hardest-Hit Hospitals

Every night at 7 p.m., New York City briefly returns to its regular cacophonous state as claps, cheers, and renditions of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” break out across the five boroughs in honor of the medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. Across the country and around the world, similar displays of gratitude are taking place, signaling to healthcare and other essential workers that their dedication during this pandemic is nothing short of heroic.

While many of us are abiding by stay-at-home orders or are fortunate enough to be able to avoid the kinds of spaces and situations that could put us at risk, these individuals are putting their own lives on the line in order to save the lives of others. So in honor of National Nurses Week, which runs from May 6 to 12, Harper’s BAZAAR spoke with 12 nurses at some of the hardest-hit hospitals in the United States, who shared with us what gives them hope in these unprecedented times.