Hannah Fisher, RN always knew she wanted to pursue a career helping people in times of need. When she told her parents she wanted to be a firefighter, they supported her wholeheartedly. But two years into school and training came a medical diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation (AVM), something that could lead to brain aneurysm with strenuous activity. Following doctor’s recommendations, but loving the life safety and care aspect of the education, she decided to pursue nursing.

Fisher graduated from Galen’s Louisville campus ADN program at the end of 2019 and went right into a job at the University of Louisville Hospital in their PCU, with the goal of one day working in its level 1 trauma center. Then came COVID-19.

While she isn’t caring for affected patients, she is seeing first-hand the amazing work and sacrifice of so many as her colleagues locally, and across the country. Seeing the heartache and the physical and emotional strain, she wanted to help. Thus was born, The Blue Heart Movement. She and a friend, Brittany Ballard, decided to give blue heart stickers to their coworkers along with a little note of encouragement, asking them to place the blue heart on their badge, as a sign of hope and unity. And they did so, anonymously.

They also created a Facebook group called Healthcare Heroes as a place for any US healthcare worker to connect “during this crazy time”, and to promote their blue hearts. They started taking requests, using their own money and off-work hours to create what has now turned in to thousands of little packets filled with a note and a blue heart sticker, being sent to facilities across the state, and now, even the country, to be distributed anonymously colleague to colleague, to honor those who are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy.

While Fisher says she dearly misses her Galen family, she “still feels like she is in school” because of her great, new work family. The best thing about Galen for her was the people and how helpful everyone is, and she says she is fortunate to have found that at work as well. Her advice to new students is to connect with people. “The teachers are great”, she said, “and I recommend building a solid support group and starting study groups early in the program.”

For us at Galen, we could not be more proud. Hannah is an example of the compassion, dedication, and determination that is the very essence of nursing and we are honored to call her a Galen grad.

Visit Healthcare Heroes on Facebook or visit this link to put in a request for Blue Hearts to be shipped directly to you.