Nursing is more than a profession; it’s a calling. Nurses touch lives in ways that words can barely capture. These dedicated individuals bring comfort and hope to those in their care.
This list of the best nursing quotes celebrates their compassion and resilience. Each quote offers a glimpse into the heart and soul of nursing, reminding us of the essential role these caregivers play in our lives. Let these words inspire and honor the selfless work of nurses everywhere.
Inspirational Nursing Quotes
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Unknown
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Terri Guillemets
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; that is to be a nurse.” – Rawsi Williams
“Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation.” – Aristotle
“Nurses may not be angels, but they are the next best thing.” – Anonymous
“The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save 100 lives, you’re a nurse.” – Anonymous
“Caring is the essence of nursing.” – Jean Watson
“The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” – William Osler
“Nurses serve their patients in the most important capacities. We know that they serve as our first lines of communication when something goes wrong or when we are concerned about health.” – Lois Capps
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Teresa
“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
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution.” – Kahlil Gibran
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
“Not all superheroes wear capes, some wear scrubs.” – Anonymous
“A nurse is not what you do. It is who you are… I am a nurse. It’s not what I do, it’s what I AM.” – Anonymous
“Panic plays no part in the training of a nurse.” – Elizabeth Kenny
“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” – Brodi Ashton
“Nursing is a work of heart.” – ScrubsMag.com
“Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.” – Mason Cooley
“Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses… we must be learning all of our lives.” – Florence Nightingale
“Nurses are the hospitality of the hospital.” – Anonymous
“Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” – Christina Feist-Heilmeier
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis
“They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.” – Arabian Proverb
Famous Nursing Quotes
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can, despite all we go through; that is to be a nurse.” – Rawsi Williams
“The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis
“Nursing is a work of heart.” – Anonymous
“Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Carrie Latet
“Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” – Dag Hammarskjold
“Caring is the essence of nursing.” – Jean Watson
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save a hundred lives, you’re a nurse.” – Unknown
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“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
“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 Belle
“Nurses are the hospitality of the hospital.” – Anonymous
“Nursing is not for the faint of heart nor the empty of heart.” – Anonymous
“Not all heroes wear capes, some wear scrubs.” – Anonymous
“Nurses are the glue that holds the patient’s health journey together.” – Anonymous
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” – William Osler
“When you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours.” – Unknown
“The best nurses have the essential qualifications before they go to school.” – Anonymous
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare, and they play a vital role in healing and caring for patients.” – Stephen Covey
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – this is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Nursing is a calling, a call to serve the sick and suffering, to bring comfort and care.” – Florence Nightingale
“Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” – Christina Feist-Heilmeier
“Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” – Anonymous
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” – Hippocrates
“Nursing is not just about curing; it’s about caring.” – Anonymous
Motivational Quotes for Nurses
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson
“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
“When you’re a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.” – Unknown
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save one hundred lives, you’re a nurse.” – Unknown
“Nursing is not for the faint of heart nor the empty of heart.” – Unknown
“The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis
“The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” – William Osler
“Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires as exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work.” – Florence Nightingale
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Terri Guillemets
“It is not how much we do – it is how much love we put into the doing.” – Mother Teresa
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” – Christina Feist-Heilmeier
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Nurses: one of the few blessings of being ill.” – Sara Moss-Wolfe
“The healing touch is not just about skills, it is about the heart and soul.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
“They may forget your name but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“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
“If love can’t cure it, nurses can.” – Unknown
“Nursing is a work of heart.” – Unknown
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Sometimes I inspire my patients; more often they inspire me.” – Unknown
“Nursing is not for the faint of heart, it is for those who have nurtured courage in their souls.” – Original Quote
“it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win, no matter the outcome.” – Patch Adams
“Caring is the essence of nursing.” – Jean Watson
“Nursing is not just an art, it has a heart. Nursing is not just a science, but it has a conscience.” – Original Quote
Heartwarming Nursing Quotes
“They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“Nurses are the hospitality of the hospital.” – Carrie Latet
“Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” – Dag Hammarskjold
“Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” – Christina Feist-Heilmeier, RN
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save a hundred lives, you’re a nurse.” – Anonymous
“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
“The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis
“Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“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
“Nursing is not for everyone. It takes a strong, intelligent, and compassionate person to take on the ills of the world with passion and purpose and work to maintain the health and well-being of the planet.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Teresa
“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker
“When you’re a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.” – Anonymous
“Nursing: where love meets medicine.” – Anonymous
“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
“Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the job, everyday, while we are ‘just doing our jobs.'” – Christine Belle
“Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation.” – Aristotle
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
“Being a nurse means to hold all your own tears and start drawing smiles on people’s faces.” – Dana Basem
“The simple act of caring is heroic.” – Edward Albert
“Nurses are angels in comfortable shoes.” – Anonymous
“Nursing is more than a career; it’s a calling.” – Anonymous
“Every nurse is an angel with a key for healthy community! All in caring for patients is part of nursing soul!” – Aleksandar Radenovic
“The best nurses are the ones that go beyond the technical skills and truly understand the importance of human touch and compassion.” – Unknown
“Nurses may not be angels, but they are the next best thing.” – Anonymous
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Terri Guillemets
“Nursing is not what you do; it’s what you are… I am a nurse. It’s not what I do, it’s what I am.” – Anonymous
Nursing Quotes on Caring and Compassion
“The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.” – Carson McCullers
“Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.” – Mason Cooley
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“Caring is the essence of nursing.” – Jean Watson
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The simple act of caring is heroic.” – Edward Albert
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Terri Guillemets
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Teresa
“Caring is not what a powerful person gives to a weaker one. Caring is a matter of being there…lamenting right along with the one who laments.” – Fred Rogers
“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
“We care for others to give them relief, and in doing so, find relief ourselves.” – Original
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
“One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.” – Jim Rohn
“Kindness and caring make the world go round.” – Original
“Nursing is a work of heart.” – Unknown
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” – Mark Twain
“Caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human.” – Hillary Clinton
“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” – Jane Austen
“though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
“Caring has the gift of making the ordinary special.” – George R. Bach
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” – Seneca
“Nursing is about using the power of touch, a listening ear, and the simplest human connection to make a difference in someone’s life.” – Original
“A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.” – John Ruskin
“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker
“The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker.” – Helen Keller
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” – William Wordsworth
“Caring is the ultimate expression of what it means to be human.” – Original
Humorous Nursing Quotes
“Nursing is a work of heart and a piece of crazy.” – Unknown
“Nurses: we can’t fix stupid, but we can sedate it.” – Unknown
“Behind every great doctor is an even better nurse.” – Unknown
“Nursing is like riding a bike, except the bike is on fire, you’re on fire, and everything is on fire.” – Unknown
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save one hundred lives, you’re a nurse.” – Unknown
“Gonna go be a superhero for 12 hours. AKA: a nurse.” – Unknown
“Coffee: because a sleep-deprived nurse is a dangerous nurse.” – Unknown
“Nurses: because even doctors need heroes.” – Unknown
“Nurse: the first person you see after saying, ‘Hold my beer and watch this!'” – Unknown
“I’m a nurse, what’s your superpower?” – Unknown
“Nursing is not a career; it’s a post-apocalyptic survival skill.” – Unknown
“Nurses call the shots.” – Unknown
“Being a nurse means you get to wear pajamas to work!” – Unknown
“You know you’re a nurse when your finger has gone places you never thought possible.” – Unknown
“Nursing is a science… and patience is the art.” – Unknown
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and sometimes just plain old common sense.” – Unknown
“Nurses: the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
“A nurse is a person who works very hard to heal you physically and may even provide you with comic relief.” – Unknown
“Nurses are angels in comfortable shoes.” – Unknown
“Nursing: the toughest job you’ll ever love.” – Unknown
“Nurses: experts in caffeine administration.” – Unknown
“If love can’t cure it, nurses can.” – Unknown
“Nursing is a balance between science and compassion, head and heart.” – Unknown
“Nurses: because sanity is overrated.” – Unknown
“Nursing is a passion from the heart and a twinge of madness.” – Unknown
“Why did the nurse carry red crayons? In case she had to draw blood!” – Unknown
“Nurses: the few, the proud, the overly caffeinated.” – Unknown
“A nurse’s favorite playground: the break room.” – Unknown
“Sometimes the best cure for a patient is a nurse’s smile.” – Unknown
“Nurses: the only people who can look at a crisis and think, ‘I got this.'” – Unknown
Thought-Provoking Quotes for Nursing Professionals
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“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
“They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” – Val Saintsbury
“Nursing is not just an art, it has a heart. Nursing is not just a science, but it has a conscience.” – Anonymous
“The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” – Carolyn Jarvis
“Nurses are the hospitality of the hospital.” – Anonymous
“Nursing is a work of heart.” – Anonymous
“The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” – William Osler
“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
“Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backward.” – Florence Nightingale
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso
“Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” – Dag Hammarskjöld
“Bound by paperwork, short on hands, sleep, and energy, nurses are rarely short on caring.” – Sharon Hudacek
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Teresa
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
“The nurses were all angels in my eyes.” – Randy Castillo
“Nursing is not for the faint of heart nor the empty of heart.” – Anonymous
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” – Arthur Ashe
“Nurses: one of the few blessings of being ill.” – Sara Moss-Wolfe
“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families, and ourselves.” – Maya Angelou
“Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson
“The best cure sometimes is simply to care.” – Anonymous
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save a hundred lives, you’re a nurse.” – Anonymous
“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
“Nurses are the heart of healing.” – Anonymous
“The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity.” – William Osler
“Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” – Anonymous
Final Words
Nursing is a profession that demands compassion, resilience, and hard work. The quotes we’ve shared highlight these qualities, offering both inspiration and comfort. They remind nurses why they started and help them push through tough days.
Whether you’re a nurse looking for a boost or someone who wants to understand the heart of nursing, these quotes capture the spirit of the profession. They speak to the dedication and care that nurses pour into their work every day. Keep these quotes close to remind you of the strength and kindness that define nursing.
