Inspirational Quotes
& Quotations On Nursing

Nursing is as much a life commitment as a career. Here are some interesting things that people have said over the years about this unique profession. To create this page, we made a point of looking for nursing quotes from not just famous people, but from typical working nurses. If you have an interesting quote about nursing you'd like to see added to this collection, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you!

"We often think of nursing as giving meds on time, checking an X-ray to see if the doctor needs to be called, or taking an admission at 2:00 a.m. with a smile on our faces. Too often, we forget all the other things that make our job what it truly is—caring and having a desire to make a difference."
- Erin Pettengill, RN, quoted on RN Modern Medicine

"When I first started working in longterm care, after I’d been in a hospital setting, I bet I went home crying every night for 6 weeks because I said this just isn’t what I like. But the more I stayed, the more I understood it’s a different kind of nursing...We’re all going to die—that’s a part of life. Just when and how, we don’t know."
- MarDee Dahlin, RN, quoted in “Caring For The Ages”

"If Christian scientists had more science and doctors more Christianity, it wouldn't make any difference which you called in - if you had a good nurse."
- Finley Peter Dunne

"Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the joy, everyday, while we are 'just doing our jobs.'"
- Christine Belle, RN, BSN

"I practice on many different levels and I take care of all different kinds of patients. It's challenging and provides autonomy. I've done it for over 25 years and there isn't a day I've regretted picking it up."
- Merrie Griffin, nurse anesthetist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, quoted on money.cnn.com

"Bound by paperwork, short on hands, sleep, and energy... nurses are rarely short on caring."
- Sharon Hudacek, "A Daybook for Nurses"

"It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a Hospital that it should do the sick no harm."
- Florence Nightengale

"Treat the patient, not the Xray."
- James M. Hunter

-- See page two of Nursing Quotes And Quotations --

"Whether a person is a male or female, a nurse is a nurse."
- Gary Veale

"…although the days are busy and the workload is always growing, there are still those special moments when someone says or does something and you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. That’s why I became a nurse."
- Diane McKenty, Renal Health Nurse (RN)

"A good doctor is one who'll say, 'I have no idea what's going on with this patient. Come help me figure it out.'"
- Sally P. Karioth, RN, Ph.D

"Bottom line? If you want a job where you can literally change lives, nursing might be for you. And it will be the hardest thing you have ever done in your life. But it can be awesome."
- Alison, of Alison's Blog

"The RN's role is huge. We advocate for and mediate between patients and physicians. We also get social services involved to work with insurance companies and we give the patient the care that they deserve."
- Lisa McDew, registered nurse in the orthopedic medical-surgical unit at Woodwinds Hospital, Woodbury, MN

"Some people think that doctors and nurses can put scrambled eggs back in the shell."
- Cass Canfield

"Always thank your nurse. Sometimes the only one between you and a hearse."
- Carrie Latet

"As more and more people -- families of hospice patients and hospice volunteers -- are exposed to this new model of how to approach end-of-life care, we are taking what was essentially a hidden scene -- death, an unknown -- and making it a reality. We are showing people that there are meaningful ways to cope with this very difficult situation."
- Florence Sophie Schorske, former dean of the Yale University School of Nursing

"I can stand out the war with any man."
- Florence Nightengale

"I like when patients tell me that they understand their conditions and meds better and that now they're optimistic about their health."
- Robert Skeist, MD

See many more great Nursing Quotes And Quotations

Learn about the more advanced RN to BSN Bachelor's Degree