CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – We owe so much to our healthcare professionals who are in the front lines in the continuing fight in the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 6-12 is National Nurses’ Week and during this time gratitude and recognition is more important than ever.

Sharla Smith, the Onsite Employee Health and Wellness Clinic Manager for Montgomery County, is one of many nurses Clarksvillenow.com will be honoring this week.

Smith was inspired at a young age to become a nurse by her grandmother who was a pediatric nurse at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital at Fort Campbell.

“As I was growing up, anytime I would meet people and they knew my grandmother, people would talk about the impression she left upon them,” Smith said. “I always remember my grandmother.”

Her grandmother was very proud when she began studying pediatric nursing and even more so when Smith became a nurse with Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools.

Now, as the manager of the Onsite Health and Wellness Clinic, Smith said even after the past 20 plus years she is proud to be a nurse and nursing is still her passion.

In honor of Nurses Day, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System wants to show their appreciation to their nurses who work in various areas in the schools who help children every day.

She also wanted to recognize the Onsite Employee Health and Wellness nurses who work to keep employees and their families healthy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nurses have been heavily involved with helping the employees of the school system, Montgomery County, the Sheriff’s Office, which includes screening them before they go to work or helping them to stay healthy so they can be at work.

“All of our school system nurses which include the onsite clinic nurses are the very best and they have been right there when we needed them the most during one of the hardest times that we’ve ever faced.  We wanted to make sure we said thank you and happy Nurses Day,” Smith said.

Smith emphasized the importance of taking safety precautions when it comes to COVID-19.

“It’s so important, unfortunately you see people disregarding the importance of it,” she said. “I always think maybe they haven’t been affected by it.”

Smith talked about masks, gloves, and social distancing.

“I realize that I am not only protecting myself, but as a nurse I’m protecting what I may have and not giving it to someone else.  To me that’s no greater gift.” Smith said.

Do you have a nurse in your life that you would like to recognize? Submit your favorite nurse for Nurses’ Week and we may give them a shoutout too!