Meet Marvel's newest heroes: Nurses

The Vitals — true nurse stories of courage

If AHN nurses taught us anything this year, it's that heroes do exist. Just ask their kids.

Children of nurses are no stranger to the sacrifice and commitment the pandemic has demanded of their parents. They've witnessed firsthand the physical and emotional toll their jobs have taken. Yet the role their parents play in this fight is not lost on them. Because it was their kids who saw them as heroes long before the world did.

So, to fully grasp the courage behind our AHN nurses, we spoke to those closest to them — their kids. And surprised them with a comic book portraying their parents as the heroes they are.

Our nurses are our heroes

Since the onset of COVID-19, more has been asked of nurses than ever before. And while many of us stayed home, they stepped up with courage, compassion, and care in our greatest hour of need. So, with 2020 declared the Year of the Nurse, AHN wanted to find a way to honor our own nurses and recognize them for what they truly are — heroes.

Real nurses, real stories

With the help of Marvel Comics, we brought real heroic stories from real AHN nurses to life in the form of a superhero comic book. Stories were collected from colleagues, patients and family members — anyone who experienced the undeniable resolve of our nurses firsthand. Marvel then took those stories and gave them the hero treatment. And just like that, "The Vitals" were born.