Pampers announced the Pampers Swaddlers Thank You Nurses campaign, in partnership with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), the foremost authority promoting the health of women and newborns and strengthening the nursing profession. The program celebrates the essential role nurses play in fostering the relationship between newborns and their parents. As a first phase of the campaign, in celebration of National Nurse Practitioner Week, Pampers is launching an Awards program that will honor nurses in three categories – Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Postpartum Care – and will bring to life their inspirational stories through personal documentary-style videos.

“Having a new baby is such an extraordinary, rewarding experience, and nurses are with new babies and their parents every step of the way,” says E. Yuri Hermida, vice president of North American Baby & Feminine Care, Procter & Gamble. “It’s the nurses we trust through labor and delivery, during post-partum care, and in the NICU. They teach us as parents what we need to do to give baby the best start in life. As a brand dedicated to the happy, healthy development of every baby, Pampers wants to honor the nurses who go above and beyond and make life better for baby every day.”

According to a recent Pampers poll of nurses attending the 2015 AWHONN Convention, 61% of nurses say they teach new parents every day how to diaper a baby for the first time, and 61% also say they support the emotional wellbeing of new parents every day. Many nurses find their hard work worthwhile, and 100% of all of the nurses surveyed said that caring for the health and wellbeing of newborns is rewarding. Ultimately, nurses do their part to make life better for baby and their families, but just over half of nurses (66%) say they feel appreciated by new parents every day – providing even more opportunities for families to express their thanks and gratitude to the nurses who took such good care of them.

“Nurses help new parents learn how to care for their newborns and encourage healthy development right from the start,” says AWHONN CEO, Lynn Erdman, MN, RN, FAAN. “We are really excited to partner with Pampers and raise awareness of the passion, devotion and inspirational experiences our nurses have every day. We encourage families, hospitals and other nurses to nominate a nurse for this award and see their personal stories come to life.”

To celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week this November, Pampers is launching the Thank You Nurses Awards, in partnership with AWHONN, honoring nurses across three award categories – Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Postpartum Care. Pampers is inviting parents starting today, to share their stories of nurses who helped make life better for baby by submitting a nurse nomination at www.tongal.com/pampersnurses.

Three nominated nurses will be featured in short documentary videos showcasing their unique and inspirational stories. These three nurse finalists will each receive a one-year membership to the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), P&G care packages and more. Finalists will also receive a scholarship to attend the AWHONN Annual Convention. In honor of these nurses, three Pampers Swaddlers scholarships will be made available to help nurses from underrepresented groups complete their studies toward a Master of Science in Nursing degree.

In March, Pampers will invite parents to watch these three nurse documentaries and vote on a grand prize honoree who will be announced during National Nurse Appreciation Week in May. This grand prize nurse honoree will be featured in an upcoming Pampers advertisement placed with AWHONN.