Best 71 Motivational Quotes Nursing
Motivational quotes are an effective way to inspire and encourage people to achieve their goals, and this is especially true for those working in the nursing profession. Nurses are an integral part of the healthcare system, and their work is challenging, stressful, and demanding. In this article, we will explore some of the best motivational quotes for nursing that can help nurses stay motivated, focused, and positive while facing the everyday challenges of their job. Whether you are a new nurse just starting your career or a seasoned professional, these quotes will remind you of the importance of your work and inspire you to keep going.

- . “Nurses are the heart of healthcare.” – Donna Wilk Cardillo
- “How can anybody hate nurses? Nobody hates nurses. The only time you hate a nurse is when they’re giving you an enema.” —Warren Beatty
- “It would not be possible to praise nurses too highly.” — Stephen Ambrose, Author
- “Save one life, you’re a hero. Save 100 lives, you’re a nurse.” —Unknown
- “Treat the patient as a whole, not just the hole in the patient.” —Unknown
- “A nurse is not what you do. It is what you are…. I am a nurse. It’s not what I do, it’s what I am.” —Unknown
- “A nurse is not what you do. It is what you are… I am a nurse. It’s not what I do, it’s what I AM.”
- “Just so you know, doctors are here to diagnose, not heal. We heal.” —Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie
- . “Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” —Jean Watson, American nurse theorist and nursing professor
- “Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your presence felt.” —Grace Lichtenstein, Author
- . “Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” —Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish economist and diplomat
- “Fill your mind with truth. Fill your heart with love. Fill your life with service.” —Vaughn J. Featherstone, American missionary
- . “A nurse is one who opens the eyes of a newborn and gently closes the eyes of a dying man. It is indeed a high blessing to be the first and last to witness the beginning and end of life.” —Unknown
- “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” —Mother Teresa
- . “Caring is the essence of nursing.” —Jean Watson
- “Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on Earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” —Vincent Van Gogh
- . “Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” —Val Saintsbury
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” —Dr. Seuss
- . “Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.” —Christina Feist-Heilmeier, RN
- “I attribute my success to this; I never gave nor took any excuse.” —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
- “Success comes to those who are too busy to look for it.” —Henry David Thoreau
- . “The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” —Dr. William Osler, Canadian physician and founder of Johns Hopkins University
- “There no longer has to be a difference between who you are and what you do.” —Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur and author
- . “America’s nurses are the beating heart of our medical system.” —Barack Obama
- “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
- . “Nursing is one of the fine arts: I had almost said ‘the finest of fine arts.’” —Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing
- “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” —Maya Angelou
- . “You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win—no matter the outcome.” —Robin Williams in Patch Adams
- “So never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.” — Florence Nightingale
- . “Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the job, every day, while we are ‘just doing our jobs.’” —Christine Belle
- “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” —Florence Nightingale
- . “When you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.” —Unknown
- “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” —Salvador Dali
- . “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” —Mother Teresa
- “I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.” —Florence Nightingale
- . “Not all angels have wings … some have scrubs.” —Unknown
- “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. Time will pass anyway.” —Earl Nightingale, American radio speaker and author
- . “It’s okay to learn from every experience, and it’s okay to make mistakes.”– Louise Hay
- . “Forgive yourself; you are not perfect. Show yourself grace; you are still learning. Show yourself patience; you are on a journey.” —Unknown
- “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”–John Maxwell
- . “Hardships often prepare people for an extraordinary destiny.” —C.S. Lewis
- “How many nurses does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None! They delegate it to the nursing student.”–unknown
- . “To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can, in spite of all we go through, is to be a nurse.” —Rawsi Williams, JD, BSN, RN, PhD
- “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
- . “I never dreamed about success—I worked for it.” —Estée Lauder
- “If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” – Win Borden
- . “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou
- . “Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation.” – Aristotle
- . “When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” —Unknown
- “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. Time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale
- . “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” —Art Williams, businessman and coach
- “It’s the new nurses who aren’t scared that worry me”–every nursing instructor ever (and they’re right!)
- . “It’s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together.” —Unknown
- . “As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the mind, soul, heart, and body of our patients, their families, and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
- . “While that’s correct… it’s not the most correct. This is nursing school.” —Unknown
- “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock
- . “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” —Anthony J. D’Angelo, educator
- “Confidence is not ‘they will like me,’ confidence is “I’ll be fine if they don’t.” Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker
- . “Apprehension, uncertainty, waiting, expectation, fear of surprise, do a patient more harm than any exertion.” —Florence Nightingale
- “When you’re a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.” – Unknown
- . “Panic plays no part in the training of a nurse.” —Elizabeth Kenny, Australian bush nurse
- “You know you’re a nurse when your finger has gone places you never thought possible.”–unknown
- . “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” —Chinese proverb
- “Nurse: the first person you see after saying, ‘Hold my beer and watch this!’”–unknown
- . “Let us never consider ourselves finished, nurses. We must be learning all of our lives.” —Florence Nightingale
- “To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through…that is what it is to be a nurse.” – Rawsi Williams, RN
- . “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela
- “I am among those who think that science has great beauty.”–Marie Curie
- . “Although your educational journey may be difficult at times, you will reap the reward of utmost satisfaction when holding your nursing diploma for the first time—and nothing will ever compare to the fulfilment that improving and saving the lives of others will bring!” —Mikhail Shneyder, Nightingale College president and CEO
- “Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” — Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish Diplomat and Economist
conclusion
In conclusion, motivational quotes can serve as a powerful tool for nurses to find inspiration and maintain their motivation in their daily work. These quotes can help nurses to stay focused on their goals, push through difficult moments, and maintain a positive mindset. The nursing profession is a challenging and demanding field that requires resilience, determination, and compassion. Reading motivational quotes can help nurses to feel connected to their purpose and find the strength to persevere. By incorporating motivational quotes into their daily routine, nurses can boost their morale, improve patient care, and create a more fulfilling and rewarding career.