Let’s take a break from strategy this week and just talk about what really matters — YOU.
As we round out Nurses Week and dive deeper into Nurses Month, I want to take a moment to do something that’s both personal and purposeful. I want to celebrate nurses — really celebrate you — in a way that reconnects you to your “why” and leaves you feeling proud (and maybe a little emotional).
See, once upon a time, I delivered a keynote called Celebrate Nurses: Human by Birth—Hero by Choice. It was my all-time favorite because it focused on the goodness in nursing—not the badness. And yes, there’s always a little badness in there, but this kind of talk reminded us all why we chose this life in the first place.
I retired that keynote after COVID, mostly because I heard so many nurses say, “Please don’t call us heroes anymore.” But lately, I’ve noticed a shift. Maybe, just maybe, we’re ready to reclaim that word — not because it’s what the world calls us, but because of how we choose to show up every single day.
Why Did You Choose This?
Do you remember why you became a nurse?
Was it because your mom was a nurse? Because you wanted to help people? Or was it for a bigger dorm room? (Yes, that was an actual answer someone gave me. Priorities!)
Whatever your reason, one thing is true — nobody warned us that nursing was going to be the most selfless profession out there. No one said, “Hey, just so you know, this job will inconvenience you every single day. You’ll miss meals, holidays, bathroom breaks, and a regular schedule. Still want in?”
And yet… here we are.
Even when the days feel impossible, we still say, “I love being a nurse.” Okay, maybe not every day. Perhaps some days it’s more like, “You can’t pay me enough to do this again tomorrow.” But still, we stay.
Why?
Because making a difference feels like a privilege.
From “You Don’t Have to Pay Me” to “You Can’t Pay Me Enough”
I remember my first paycheck. $900. I thought I hit the jackpot! I literally said, “You don’t even have to pay me — I love this so much!”
Suddenly, I was drowning in patient loads, emotional fatigue, and expectations that no one human could meet. That’s when I came up with my definition of stress:
When you don’t have the resources to meet the demands placed upon you.
Sound familiar?
Every role in nursing — bedside, educator, leader, business owner — comes with that same pressure. And yet, we keep showing up. Not because it’s easy, but because we believe in what we do.
The Power of Feeling Beautiful
Let me tell you a story I haven’t shared in a while — something a little off-script, but stay with me.
Years ago, I wandered into a Sephora in New York City. I needed blush. (Okay, technically, I’d been using my lipstick as blush. Women get resourceful!) I was instantly overwhelmed. There was blush as far as the eye could see! But then this young woman walked up to me, picked a blush, dabbed it on my cheeks three times, and each time stepped back and said, “Beautiful.”
I walked out of that store with a $150 receipt and something even better — a feeling.
I felt beautiful.
That moment became a little ritual for me: “It’s time to get beautiful.” And it reminded me that sometimes, we just need someone to see the beauty in ourselves before we can see it in others.
Nurses — we have that same power.
There’s a lot of ugly in the world, but there’s beauty too. And we can be the ones who reach into someone else’s life and pull that beauty out — even when it’s buried under exhaustion, pain, or crabby co-workers. Especially then.
Reconnect with Your Why
Whether you’ve been a nurse for one year or 50, here’s your challenge: Reconnect with your why.
Write it down. Say it out loud. Share it with your team. And when you’re having that day (you know the one), go back to it.
Some of us became nurses because we wanted to help people. Others because of personal stories or experiences. Some of us — okay, one of us — because a fortune teller saw us in white. (True story!)
Whatever your reason, it’s still there. It didn’t disappear. It just might need a little dusting off.
Final Thoughts
Being a nurse is not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart or the easily discouraged. But it is for the resilient, the compassionate, and the quietly powerful. It’s for people like you.
So, this Nurses Month, let’s celebrate nurses by not just saying thank you but reconnecting with what makes us extraordinary in the first place. Let’s pull out the beauty in ourselves and each other. Let’s remember what it means to be a hero, not by title but by choice.
And if today happens to be one of those “You can’t pay me enough” days? That’s okay. Just don’t forget to look for the good. It’s there — in you, in your team, and in this profession we call home.
From one nurse to another — I appreciate you, I honor you, and I’m proud to stand beside you.
Happy Nurses Month!
