This BLOG is dedicated to all of the wonderful nurses and medical professionals out there!  

You all deserve accolades for putting yourself out there for others every day.  For weekly inspiration, sign up for the NNCT weekly email BLOG.  Donna     

Donna Reese

I want to give you a little insight into who I am and how I started this BLOG Nurses Need Care Too!

I live in picturesque Central Pa with my husband and cat, who is not at all friendly.  I’m talking about the cat, not my husband 😊.  My grandkids call him the “Mean cat” as we used to have a “Nice cat” who recently died.  Also, I am fortunate to have LOADS of grandchildren and family around who all get along, and we love hanging out together.



I have been a nurse for 37 years, starting out working on a pediatric unit in a rural Pa hospital.  From there, I did a whole lot of other nursing as I many times worked 2 jobs at a time.  My main title has been “school nurse” for 27 years.


I also went back to college to get my master’s degree to become a family nurse practitioner (CRNP).  I worked as a certified school nurse (CSN) in a local district and, at the same time, a CRNP at an inner-city community clinic for a few years.  Not surprisingly, I suffered burn-out and developed cancer at 40.  So, I decided just to work the one job as a school nurse as it paid well and had great benefits.  I belatedly realized that life is too short to work it away.

Fast forward to 2020, COVID hit, and I was working all 3 shifts at a local private inpatient pediatric facility.  Once again, I was side-lined with chronic illness.  This time, it was a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder called Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR).  I had to stop working as a nurse due to being immunocompromised from the medication to treat PMR and feeling poorly.  After 6 months of muscle rigidity and pain, I felt that I had nursed myself back to health to a point where I could start to think about working again.

I realized that I could not be a dependable worker as I had good days and bad days due to the PMR and always a lot of morning stiffness.  I had always loved to write and had done some journaling while recovering from cancer.  In addition, I developed some educational health videos a few years ago for a wellness corporation.  I decided to officially try my hand at writing and landed an ongoing gig for a nursing education publication.  I also had started a Facebook group for Polymyalgia Rheumatica sufferers.

I gave blogging a try and liked it.  So, I decided to start up a support and encouragement BLOG for nurses called Nurses Need Care Too.  

Supporting nurses is a passion of mine as many of my family and friends are in the nursing or health field.  I love and admire them all. Most of all, I know how discouraging and wearing it can be to work day after day, giving of yourself with very little in return.  I want to help encourage my nurse friends and all of you out there who deserve accolades and a little “prop up” for what you do EVERY DAY!  You are my HEROES.  

I would be honored if you read my BLOG Nurses Need Care Too!  I hope that I can make your day a little brighter.  

Check back in a few days for uplifting and inspiration for NURSES WEEK!  I can’t wait to celebrate with you and for you.

In sisterhood,

Donna