In December 2020, country duo Brown & Gray announced the release of their single, “You Didn’t Have To,” and accompanying music video produced in collaboration with the non-profit NursesEverywhere.
Directly impacted by the nurses in their lives, Brown & Gray wrote this song to honor the women and men who have cared for millions during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
“Nurses are sacrificing more than most of us can imagine. We’ve personally been touched by the nurses in our lives and wanted to recognise their commitment and contributions as, not just healthcare providers, but leaders, experts, scientists, and innovators too,” said Kaci Brown of Brown & Gray. “We asked our friends at NursesEverywhere how we can best show our gratitude. We were eager to lend our music to the ‘Thank A Nurse, Wear A Mask’ campaign to promote safe behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
Watch the music video here.
“Nurses continue to lead through one of the darkest times in our recent history. We’re so
grateful for the light Brown & Gray is shining on our colleagues and look forward to using their song as fuel as we bring our communities out of darkness,” said NursesEverywhere CEO and Founding Member PK Scheerle.
Written from the perspective of the son of a nurse and mother of a child with a chronic illness, the song celebrates and honors nurses and frontline workers. The music video features real nurses wearing PPE that says, “Thank a Nurse, Wear a Mask,” a message propagated by NursesEverywhere.
“It’s long-overdue, but there’s never been a better time to shine a light on nurses and their
expertise. ‘You Didn’t Have To’ is our way of recognising every nurse out there,” said Sam Gray of Brown & Gray. “We are asking everyone who loves our song to mask up, wash your hands, and practice social distancing to honor the sacrifice our nurses and frontline workers are making for us.”
The ongoing NursesEverywhere campaign promotes the profession and partners with the public to improve access to care and meet the world’s healthcare needs today — and in the future. In fact, a Harris Poll commissioned by NursesEverywhere found 89% of Americans want nurses to be as active in their care after the pandemic as they have been during the pandemic.
The masks featured in the video can be purchased at NursesEverywhere.com with all proceeds directed to helping the public get better access to nursing care.
About NursesEverywhere
NursesEverywhere is a non-profit organisation dedicated to partnering with the public to
improve access to nursing care. The network includes four million U.S. nurses, and 20 million nurses internationally. The founding members make up one of the most impressive lists of “Who’s Who In Healthcare” with four past and the current president of the American Nurses Association, the President and CEO of the National League for Nursing, the world’s most recognised nursing researcher, and senior advisor for the nation’s largest healthcare foundation.
