ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Nurses deserve appreciation now more than ever as they continue to endure during the pandemic.

On National Nurses Day, Spectrum News is highlighting their efforts to make things work for patients and families.

Tami Scholl is the director of Nursing Services at Unity Hospital in Rochester. She's reflecting on everything that's happened during the pandemic over the past year and what it has meant for local nurses.

"So it's definitely been challenging. I think that it's challenging but rewarding and a different way is we were able to care for these patients that needed our help and needed our support and we were able to provide that for them. So it was challenging but also very rewarding as well," said Scholl.

Scholl says being able to count on their fellow nurses has helped them keep going.

"So I think it taught us to be supportive for each other. We had to rely on each other. A lot of the nurses weren't able to see their families just because they didn't want to bring the virus to them. So we had to support each other and we had to be there for each other and we're a family here at Unity. So we were able to step up and make sure that we kept each other safe, kept each other in good spirits and provided great care for our patients," she said.

For many, the pandemic shined a light on the hard work of nurses and has helped people realize just how important their jobs are.

"I think that a lot of people realized how important the nursing profession is. People were staying home, you know quarantine at home, and we had to come to work and we had to take care of the loved ones who needed us. So it was something that was I think important for our profession and I love that I would never do anything else. So it was amazing," Scholl said.

As the pandemic continues, communities like Rochester are stepping up to show their support for nurses who never stop working.