Some heroes wear capes, others wear scrubs.
Today marks the start of National Nurses Week, an event commemorating the birthday of Florence Nightingale (the founder of modern nursing) and honoring the RNs who keep us safe.
Now more than ever, we’re appreciative of our frontline healthcare workers, who have been tirelessly working during the coronavirus pandemic to keep us and our families healthy.
With stars showing their appreciation for nurses, like Jennifer Aniston surprising an RN on a video call or Jimmy Kimmel and Jack Black teaming up to gift another nurse $10,000 worth of Postmates, we know that this week will be full of support for nurses all around the country.
To celebrate this week, we’ve rounded up some of the most comforting TV nurses of all time.
Since one of the best things we can do to keep real-life hospital workers safe is to socially distance ourselves, these fictional nurses are a perfect companion for some nighttime binge watching, and are sure to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Check out our favorite on-screen nurses, and be sure to thank any RNs you know in your life for their work today and every day.
Patrick Ecclesine/NBCU Photo Bank
Samantha Taggart, ER
Linda Cardellini perfectly portrayed Samantha Taggart, who was as fierce in the field of medicine as she was as a mother to her son, Alex.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Margaret Houlihan, M*A*S*H
The Army Nurses Corp member ran the nurses in the MASH 4077 unit with a no-nonsense ferocity that made her a great RN during the show’s Korean War setting.
Sony Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Christina Hawthorne, HawthoRNe
Jada Pinkett Smith won a NAACP Outstanding Actress Award for her role as Christina Hawthrone, a nurse that doesn’t always play by the rules in order to give her patients the best care she can.
Michael Desmond/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
Dell Parker, Private Practice
Sure, we first meet Dell Parker in the back-door pilot during Grey’s Anatomy as a shirtless bro heading to surf over lunch, but in Private Practice we see his nursing talents put to use…and more of that dazzling smile.
Tyler Golden/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Ann Perkins, Parks and Recreation
Ann Perkins! The “most beautiful nurse in the world” as Leslie Knope would brag was one of our favorite characters on Parks and Recreation, and was constantly subject to crazy citizens asking her to diagnose a weird mole they had the moment they learned she was an RN.
Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
Peter Petrelli, Heroes
Before he made us cry as Jack on This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia made us swoon as a nurse with superpowers in Heroes.
CBS via Getty Images
Christine Chapel,Star Trek
Whether you’re grounded on Earth or orbiting in space, you’re going to want to have a nurse around as Christine Chapel proved in Star Trek.
From healing those injured by the Klingon attacks to dealing with Dr. McCoy, Christine had her hands full on the USS Enterprise.
David M. Russell/SHOWTIME
Nurse Jackie, Nurse Jackie
The complicated character juggled her own addictions and personal dramas with her demanding job, and Edie Falco‘s outstanding performance earned her an Emmy for the role.
ABC
Olivia Harper, Grey’s Anatomy
We loved watching Nurse Olivia for five seasons on Grey’s Anatomy and during her brief return during season 14.
Hulu
Carol Hathaway, ER
Carol Hathaway knew how to work hard and play hard between being a headstrong head nurse and falling in love with George Clooney‘s Doug Ross.
Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Carla Espinosa, Scrubs
The no-nonsense head nurse kept things together at Sacred Heart Hospital and actress Judy Reyes has cutely said she drew inspiration for the character from her sister, who is a real-life RN.
ABC
Eli Lloyd, Grey’s Anatomy
Of course we admire Daniel Sunjata‘s character for his smarts (after all, he helped Miranda solve fistulas!) but we would be lying if we said we also don’t admire him for his striking looks, too.
For the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and for tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit The Center for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov.
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