24 Nurses Week Quotes to Remind You How Awesome Nurses Are

Nurses week is celebrated every year May 6-12 to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale – the founder of professional nursing. It’s a time to honor the very people that give from their hearts to help the sick heal and bring comfort to the hurting.

24 Nurses Week Quotes to Remind You How Awesome Nurses Are #nursesweekquotes #nurse #nurses #nursing #thenerdynurse #quotes

No, nursing is not a lighthearted or easy job. It has moments of pain, confusion, and exhaustion. But it is definitely a career where you make a real difference. This nurses week, let’s celebrate all that nurses do, and all that they are.

24+ Nurses Week Quotes

1.) “Nurses dispense comfort, compassion and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury

If you search for quotes about nurses, you’ll find this quote by Val Saintsbury on almost every single list. Who is Val Saintsbury? The answer is impossible to find. Whoever he is, this quote is pure gold.

2.)  “Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their biggest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson

Dr. Jean Watson is a well-known American nurse theorist and nursing professor.  This quote is incredibly real and true.

3.) “The character of a nurse is just as important as the knowledge he/she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis

Remember this quote every time you want to react. It really does follow you and impact the healing of the patient.

4.) “It would not be possible to praise nurses too highly.” – Stephen Ambrose

This is why I am so proud of nurses week, and why I am constantly creating inspirational articles here on The Nerdy Nurse.

5.) “Nurses are humans by birth and heroes by choice.” – Renee Thompson

With everything we do as nurses, we are the very definition of heroes. Renee Thompson, as a clinical nurse and nurse educator, has seen this truth in action.

6.) “Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo

Happy Nurses week! Remember, we are the heart of the healthcare system. We bring the compassion and empathy the patients need.

7.) “As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou will always be one of my favorite poets of all time.  She mentioned a reality for all of us – they might forget your name, but they will never forget the impact you left on their lives.

8.) Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the job, every day, while we are “just doing our jobs.”  – Christine Belle

What is it we do as nurses? So much!  This nurse quote is all of it, and more.  We can experience so much pain and joy all in the same shift.

9.) “When you’re a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.”  – Author Unknown

I wish I knew who said this quote, it is perfect.  How many times do you go home after a shift, affected by something that happened with a patient or their family? It is so often, and so amazing.

10.) “Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses….we must be learning all of our lives.” – Florence Nightingale

Of course, I had to include a quote from the founder of professional nursing, Florence Nightingale. The difficult part was choosing which quote to include.

11.) “Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” – Dag Hammarskjold, diplomat

Don’t ever doubt how important your job as a nurse is. You impact their health in ways doctors cannot.

12.) “It is not how much we do – it is how much love we put into the doing.” Mother Teresa

I deeply admire the tireless work Mother Teresa accomplished in India.  She lived out this quote.

13.) “To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; that is to be a nurse.” Rawsi Williams

Rawsi Williams is one of the most intelligent people on the planet. She’s a nurse and an attorney, with a focus on human rights.

14.) “The hospital will never be healthy for patients if it’s not a healthy environment for nurses, where their voices are heard and where they can care for their patients and use the full extent of their knowledge, abilities, and skills. After all, hospitals today have become one big intensive care unit: all patients need intensive caring.” ― Tilda Shalof

I am so glad Tilda Shalof was a voice for nurses in this quote.  That last part is my favorite – all patients need intensive caring.

15.) “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.” – Clara Barton

As the founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton cared for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. Nurses are some of the bravest people in the world.

16.) “Some people think that doctors and nurses can put scrambled eggs back into the shell.” – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Have you ever been expected to do the impossible? We all have. And the worst of it is that we want in our hearts to do it.

17.) Diagnosis is not the end, but the beginning of practice. – Martin H. Fischer

After the diagnosis, the real art of nursing comes into play. This is where the art of compassion and strength from a nurse can change a life.

18.) “Save one life, and you’re a hero. Save a hundred lives, and you’re a nurse.” – Unknown

Again, every single day, how many lives do we change? How many lives do nurses save? Focus on the happy moments and let those propel you through your hard shifts.

19.) “A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Terri Guillemets

An angel with a stethoscope – such a beautiful image. It is extremely true. We bring hope and encouragement when they need it most.

20.) “Nurses may not be angels, but they are the next best thing.” – Anonymous

Isn’t that the truth? You really are angelic and you do change lives, even if you don’t feel like it some days.

21.) “Nurses are not just doers. Our work is supported by evidence and guided by theory. We integrate evidence and theory with our knowledge of patients and make important decisions with and for patients and families at the point of care. Research and practice are not separate but integrated. Nursing is a practice discipline with our own theories and research base that we both generate, use, and disseminate to others.” – Antonia Villarruel

I am so grateful for this quote by Antonia Villarruel. Yes – as nurses we draw on years of experience and theories and meld that with our knowledge of the patients and what they need.

22.) “Nurses have new and expanding roles…they are leaders, always identifying ways for their practice to improve. Because nurses have the most direct patient care, they have much influence on serious treatment decisions. It is a very high stakes job. Everyone wants the best nurse for the job, and that equates to the best-educated nurse.” – Judy Evans

Don’t ever forget about your vital role as a leader.  You have influence and you make a difference every single day.

23.)  “Rejoice in your work; never lose sight of the nursing leader you are now and the nursing leader you will become.” – Sue Fitzsimons

Continue to strive to become an even better leader every single day. It is in you, just foster it. Nurture it.

24.) “Nurse – just another word to describe someone strong enough to tolerate everything and soft enough to understand everyone.” – Unknown

I wish I knew who said this beautiful quote. It really puts into perspective the emotional strength of all nurses.

25.) “Being a nurse means to hold all your own tears and start drawing smiles on people’s faces.” – Dana Basem

There are days when you are doing both simultaneously. Just know that you are amazing and what you do matters.

There you have it! Happy nurses week to everyone that works never-ending sifts, saving lives and making small and large impacts. You matter!

See Also:

 

1 thought on “24 Nurses Week Quotes to Remind You How Awesome Nurses Are”

  1. Franks Ross (RN)

    Nurses are truly angels living among us. Each quote describes them perfectly. There is no word in the dictionary that can describe the noble deeds of nurses. The only appreciation that comes to my mind for them is, “You are an amazing person with unique abilities, gifts, and talents, compassionate caring with a heart of mercy. We can’t thank you enough for all that you are doing for humankind “.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top