It's time to recognize nurses in Windsor-Essex.
The nomination period is now open for the 18th annual Lois Fairley Nursing Award.
The "Nurse of the Year" award recognizes the dedication and differences nurses make everyday with patients in the community.
The award is handed out during nurses week in May by the Fairley family and the Windsor-Essex chapter of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO).
John Fairley says community members can nominate a nurse and share their story about how a nurse has impacted a life of a patient, a family, their workplace or their community.
"It's been amazing throughout Windsor and the county , how we've been able to look at the way a nurse has done so much in a life of a family or a patient and we are thankful to all the nurses who work very hard everyday," says Fairley.
He says submissions from the public are needed.
"The award is given every year during nurses week and the submissions are done online and most importantly, done by the people and families," he says. "So that's where the heartfelt words are."
Fairley says the award is just one way to celebrate the amazing nurses in Windsor-Essex.
"There's such diversity now in nurses and care that again the focus sometimes is the healing but also we know how important nurses are," says Fairley.
Fairley says submissions must be 500 words or less and are being accepted until Friday, April 25.
The award is named after Lois Fairley who was a graduate of Grace Hospital's nursing program in 1955, where she served until her retirement in 1993.
She passed away in 2007.
Last year's winner was Anna Dudok, a registered nurse at Huron Lodge in Windsor.