More Than a Profession: A Nurse’s Reflection on Nurses Day

Every year in May, we celebrate Nurses Day — a day to recognize the heart, resilience, and dedication of nurses around the world. For many people, it might be a simple nod to the healthcare workers they’ve seen in hospitals or clinics. But for me, and for thousands of my colleagues, it’s personal. It’s a reminder of why we chose this path — or maybe why this path chose us.

Today, I want to step away from the clinical, the sterile, the shift schedules, and protocols, and instead share what it truly means to be a nurse. This is not a job you clock in and out of. It’s a calling, a lifestyle, and in many ways, an identity.

Becoming a Nurse: Not Just a Career, But a Transformation

I remember my first day in nursing school. I was equal parts excited and terrified. I had grown up admiring nurses — my aunt Margie was a nurse who I admired and always seemed to carry the weight of the world with grace, but nothing prepared me for the emotional transformation that nursing would bring.

We learned anatomy, pharmacology, how to insert IVs, take vitals, interpret labs, but what no textbook truly captured was the human side of it — the emotional labor, the silent strength, the way patients and family members would look to you not just for medication, but for hope.

My first clinical rotation was in a long-term care facility. I met Mr. Jackson, a retired teacher with Parkinson’s who never failed to smile despite his struggles. I helped bathe him, fed him, and listened to stories about his days in the classroom. One day, as I was helping him eat, he grabbed my hand and said, “Thank you for seeing me.” That moment has stayed with me all these years. Because that’s what nursing really is — seeing people, not just patients.

The Emotional Landscape of Nursing

People often ask, “How do you do it?” “How do you deal with the stress, the heartbreak?” The truth is, we don’t always deal with it — at least not in ways you’d expect.

I’ve cried in supply rooms. I’ve sat in my car after 12-hour shifts trying to make sense of a loss. I’ve smiled through the pain because a patient needed me to be strong. And I’ve laughed — oh, have I laughed (to my OG "pink ladies," all I'd need to say is Sherri and the Wisk) because sometimes that’s the only way to keep going.

Nursing brings you to the edges of life. We witness birth, death, recovery, and decline — sometimes all in the same day. We hold the hands of the dying when families can’t get there in time. We celebrate with patients who finally get to ring the “cancer-free” bell and what’s even more emotional is when previous patients are there when we ring the “cancer-free” bell. We advocate, we comfort, we fight — not just illness, but for dignity, equity, and compassion.

What They Don’t Teach You in School

You learn quickly that nursing is so much more than clinical skill. We become translators — converting complex medical jargon into digestible information for scared families. We become counselors, offering solace to those receiving bad news. We become detectives, noticing subtle changes in behavior or vital signs that might prevent a crisis.

We become family.

Why Nurses Stay, Even When It’s Hard

There are days I question everything. The long hours, the emotional toll, the bureaucracy that sometimes forgets the humanity at the center of healthcare. And yet — I stay.

We all have our reasons. For me, it’s the small moments. The quiet gratitude in a patient’s eyes. The teamwork that turns co-workers into family. The belief that what I do matters — even if it doesn’t make headlines.

Nursing has taught me to find meaning in the mundane. To notice the quiet victories — a wound healing, a confused patient remembering your name, a scared parent finally relaxing because they trust you. These are the victories that sustain us.

The Power of Teamwork and Sisterhood

One of the most beautiful aspects of being a nurse is the camaraderie. Nurses bond in a way that’s hard to explain. We lean on each other during night shifts that never seem to end. We share dark humor that only those in the trenches would understand. We cover each other’s patients, celebrate birthdays in break rooms, and console one another after code blues.

I’ve seen seasoned nurses mentor fresh grads, sharing not just knowledge but confidence. I’ve been held by colleagues when the weight of a loss was too much to carry alone. This profession — this community — has held me together more times than I can count.

Nurses Are Advocates, Educators, and Leaders

Being a nurse also means being an advocate. For patients, yes — but also for change. We see the gaps in the system. We witness the impact of health inequities firsthand. And many of us fight for better — better staffing, better policies, better outcomes.

We educate not only our patients but their families and sometimes our own healthcare teams. We help prevent hospital readmissions by teaching proper wound care, by ensuring patients understand their medications, by noticing when something “just isn’t right.”

We’re also leaders. In hospitals, in policy, in research. More and more nurses are becoming nurse practitioners, educators, policymakers, and innovators. We are not just the backbone of healthcare — we are its future.

A Word to the Next Generation of Nurses

To those just entering this field: welcome. You are stepping into something sacred.

You will be tired, tested, and at times, disillusioned. But you will also be transformed. You will discover strength you never knew you had. You will learn to trust your instincts. You will find purpose in places you never expected.

And you’ll never be alone. Because once you’re a nurse, you’re part of something bigger. A global community bound not by titles or paychecks, but by compassion, resilience, and the unwavering commitment to care.

A Thank You, From One Nurse to Another

On this Nurses Day, I want to say thank you — to the nurse who knew what to do simply by observing me walk through the doors before even taking my vitals in the ER. To the nurse who trained me with patience even when I made mistakes. To the nurse who stayed late to help a dying patient say goodbye via FaceTime. To the school nurses, hospice nurses, ICU warriors, public health champions, nursing administrators, nursing educators shaping the next generation of nurses and every nurse in between.

Thank you for showing up — not just physically, but emotionally. Thank you for caring when it would be easier to detach. Thank you for being the calm in the chaos, the strength in the sorrow, and the joy in the recovery.

Final Thoughts: Why I’ll Always Be a Nurse

Transitioning from a L&D and ER nurse for over 14 years to specialty pharmacy sales as an RN has shown me the incredible range of roles nurses can take on — and I love that versatility. I know once a nurse, always a nurse no matter what role you operate in. Being a nurse has changed how I listen, how I observe, and how deeply I care.

It’s changed the way I see the world. Nursing reiterates that every life has value, the importance of forgiveness, that pain and joy often walk side by side, and that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply show up — fully present and truly there for someone.

Happy Nurses Day to all my fellow nurses. You are seen. You are valued. You are the heartbeat of healthcare. And I am proud — so deeply proud — to stand among you.

xoxo,