National Nurses Week was declared by the American Nurses Association in 1993 as a way to recognize the vital contributions of nurses and draw attention to the profession. At Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College, we’re proud to serve a community of nursing students, scientists, educators, and leaders. We invite you to celebrate National Nurses Week 2019 along with all of us. National Nurses Week was declared by the American Nurses Association in 1993 as a way to recognize the vital contributions of nurses and draw attention to the profession. At Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College, we’re proud to serve a community of nursing students, scientists, educators, and leaders. We invite you to celebrate National Nurses Week 2019 along with all of us.
When Is National Nurses Week 2019?
National Nurses Week happens every year from May 6 to May 12. It starts with National Nurses Day on May 6 and ends on the 12th in honor of the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
Inspiring Nursing Quotes
For this special week of appreciation, we’ve gathered ten of our favorite nursing quotes from the past and present, including a quote from one of our own featured alumni! Feel free to share them and join us in celebrating a long legacy of nursing.
Heroic Duty
"I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.”
― Florence Nightingale, modern nursing pioneer
In Sorrow and Joy
“Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the job, every day, while we are ‘just doing our jobs.’”
― Christine Belle, RN, BSN
A Sense of Purpose
"It's not just a job. You have this sense of purpose, this sense of service, that you're in this to really help improve people's lives."
― Jonathan Auld, RN, MS, CNL
The Power to Heal
“I decided that I would never again be powerless to assist when people were in so dire a need. It was at that moment that I thought that I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to become a nurse.”
— Rear Admiral Faye Glenn Abdellah, RN, officer and educator
Offering a Piece of Ourselves
“When I think about all the patients and their loved ones that I have worked with over the years, I know most of them don’t remember me nor I them. But I do know that I gave a little piece of myself to each of them and they to me and those threads make up the beautiful tapestry in my mind that is my career in nursing.”
― Donna Cardillo, RN, speaker and author
…And Nurturing Ourselves
“Authentic service can be seen in the nurse who has nurtured herself, the healer who has been healed. It is the service we hear when the nurse can speak from her heart to the patient these simple and humble words, ‘I am here. Let’s heal together.’”
― Caryn Summers, RN and author
Beyond Just Our Patients
“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may not remember your name but they will never forget the way you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou, author and activist
Leading With Research
“We must always keep improving the scientific process with fresh ideas and a fundamental commitment to serving humanity… Nursing research does this. It helps to shape the future of nursing, and with it the future of medicine and the future of life.”
― Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, MD, former U.S. Surgeon General
Giving to the Next Generation
“Whether it is by financial means or by sharing knowledge and creative talents, giving is part of what the nursing profession must do for the next generation of nurses.”
— Nancy Kuhrik, featured alumnus, Jewish Hospital School of Nursing (1968)
Our Shared Connections
“We will meet people on the way: patients, relatives and staff – people you may recognize already. Because we are all nursed at some point in our lives. We are all nurses.”
― Christie Watson, author and retired nurse
Thank You, Nurses!
Those of us who work and study at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College are lucky to celebrate nurses and shape the future of nursing every day. National Nurses Week 2019 is a great way to see our core values in action and connect with each other.
Follow along on our Facebook page for updates throughout the week, including thoughts from our students, faculty and staff. You might also be interested in the American Nurses Association’s webinar and Twitter chat on May 8 that will talk about elevating the profile of nursing around the world.
Do you have a favorite quote or saying to share? Is there a nurse that you’d like to celebrate this year? Leave us a comment and let us know!
