Happy Nurses Week! A Letter to the Nurses Who Shaped Us

By Laura Kincheloe, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NE-BC and Elaina Diaz, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN 

To the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) who taught me every tip and trick while working as a nurse tech, thank you. I remember how excited I was to be working while in nursing school. I was nervous about getting into a good routine, but you were always there with a smile and an opportunity. It was the first time I really understood how LVNs and Registered Nurses (RN) could work so harmoniously together. I can’t thank you enough for showing me the tricks and tips with activities of daily living (ADLs) and how to put on compression stockings.  

To the nurse preceptor who I still look up to today, even after all these years, thank you. You welcomed me into this profession and encouraged me in each phase of my learning. You set goals with me and validated me and ensured that we had a policy for the actions we took. You sat next to me for my first call to the doctor and then provided me with feedback when I had to call them right back because I forgot to read back the order I was given. You probably don’t remember that, but it was a monumental moment for me. You were there for me when I lost both my parents, when I accepted a charge nurse role, and when I left for new opportunities. You have remained a huge encourager from afar and for that, I thank you.  

To the nursing student who helped me survive nursing school and became one of my lifelong friends, thank you. You may have thought my dreams and aspirations were crazy, but you always cheered me on. We were student leaders together in nursing school and learned to be adults together. You taught me about the importance of sleep and exercise while also ensuring we took time for laughing and fun. I became who I am today because of your friendship and for that, I am eternally grateful.  

To the nursing instructor who believed me when I was too shy to take those first steps into the role of the nurse, I thank you. Your gentle introduction, step back, and presence remained long after you left the room and stayed with me in the next, and the next. Over and over the light bulb moments came on sparking confidence in those steps. You set a foundation of strength designed to grow over a lifetime, thank you.  

To the orientee who helped me remember who I am as a nurse and nurse I want to be every day, thank you. Your excitement, nervous energy (at times), and will to do your best reminded me that you are looking at me to channel these newfound responsibilities into your identity as a professional nurse. The care, the charting, the tasks, and the unexpected turn of events will always be there, it’s how we approach them that makes us who we are as nurses. The difference you have made in my life will never be forgotten.  

To the nurse leader who pushed my boundaries of success beyond what I could see myself accomplish in my career, thank you. Encouraging me to move past what if they no, to what if they say yes. I have learned a no is not an end but an opportunity to keep looking for the next one. Every opportunity to share, collaborate, teach, or lead with one nurse, or hundreds, is a golden moment of connection. Thank you for your grace and patience.  
 

We want to extend a heartfelt HAPPY NURSES WEEK to all of the amazing nurses out there. To learn more about Nurses Week 2025, please visit us at the Nurses Week website.