A message from Cami Peterson-DeVries, MNORN president

Dear MNORN Members,
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Like many of you, I am carrying a deep sadness for what is happening in our state. As nurses, we do not experience these moments from a distance. We feel them in our bodies, in our hearts, and in the quiet pauses between tasks. We see the ripple effects in our patients, our residents, our colleagues, our families, and our communities.

Nursing teaches us to pay attention. We pay attention to suffering, to fear, to loss, and to the unspoken weight people carry. It also teaches us to respond with steadiness, compassion, and presence. In times like these, when there is grief and uncertainty around us, our role is not to amplify division but to anchor care, dignity, and humanity.

We are professionals trained to hold space for pain without turning away. We know how to remain calm in chaos, how to care when answers are unclear, and how to show up when it would be easier not to. That matters now. Your work matters now; whether you are at the bedside, in the community, in education, leadership, public health, or any other setting where nurses serve.

This moment calls us back to who we are as nurses: people grounded in ethics, guided by science, and committed to the well-being of every human life. We do not need to raise our voices in anger to be powerful. Our power is found in compassion, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to care and to people.

Please take care of yourselves and one another. Check in on a colleague. Pause when you need to. Reach out for support. MNORN stands with you, and I am deeply grateful for the strength, integrity, and heart you bring to this profession every single day.

With respect and solidarity,
Cami Peterson-DeVries
Board President, Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses