Inspirational Nursing Quotes

When you’ve had a bad day, it can be difficult to pull yourself out of your slump. But, a career in nursing means that when you’re on the clock, you have to be on. So, take a deep breath and use these inspirational quotes to get you through the day.

36 Inspirational Quotes for Nurses

1. “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For passion will lead you right into your purpose.” — Bishop T.D. Jakes

2. “Nurses — one of the few blessings of being ill.” — Sara Moss-Wolfe

3. “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi

5. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle.” — Plato

6. “Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” — Donna Wilk Cardillo, MA, RN, CSP

7. “The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” — Carolyn Jarvis

8. “A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” — Carrie Latet

9. “Happiness … consists of giving, and in serving others.” — Henry Drummond

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

11. “Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.” — Charles Dickens

12. “It’s okay to learn from every experience, and it’s okay to make mistakes.” — Louise Hay

13. “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” — John Maxwell

14. “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” — Earl Shoaf

15. “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it. — Art Williams

16. “Nursing is not just an art, it has a heart. Nursing is not just a science, but it has a conscience.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo

17. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest accomplishment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” — Leo Buscaglia

18. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” — Benjamin Spock

19. “Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” — Christina Feist-Heilmeier, RN

20. “When someone is going through a storm, your silent presence is more powerful than a million empty words.” — Mahatma Gandhi

21. “Nurses are there when the last breath is taken, and nurses are there when the first breath is taken. Although it is more enjoyable to celebrate the birth, it is just as important to comfort in death.” — Christine Bell

22. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs

23. “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” — Mother Teresa

24. “Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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

26. “Let us never consider ourselves finished, nurses… we must be learning all of our lives.” — Florence Nightingale

27. “Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation as any painter’s or sculptor’s work.” — Florence Nightingale

28. “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

29. “Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” — Dag Hammarskjold

30. “Nursing is the finest art: It requires not only scientific knowledge and skills but also qualities such as patience, compassion, and dedication.” — Linda Richards

31. “The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.” — Sir William Osler

32. “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” — Voltaire

33. “Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” — Val Saintsbury

34. “Work hard, stay positive, and get up early. It’s the best part of the day.” — George Allen, Sr.

35. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” — Vince Lombardi

36. “Our fingerprints don’t fade from the lives we touch.” — Judy Blume

These quotes celebrate the noble nursing profession and the incredible dedication and compassion nurses bring to their work daily. They serve as a reminder of the impact nurses make in the lives of their patients and the importance of their role in healthcare.

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