Nurses Day Wishes

On May 12 the world celebrates International Nurses Day — the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. It is the holiday of those who are first to help, care for patients day and night and support them with a kind word. Here you will find short Nurses Day wishes, messages for a fellow nurse and a head nurse, thank-you notes from patients, funny wishes and poems.

Wishes for all healthcare workers are in our Medical Workers Day wishes.

Short Nurses Day wishes

• Happy Nurses Day! Thank you for your care, patience and golden hands.
• Happy professional holiday! Calm shifts, grateful patients and good health.
• Happy International Nurses Day! May the kindness you give come back to you a hundredfold.
• Congratulations! Strength, inspiration and more time for yourself.
• Happy Nurses Day! You are the heart of every hospital.
• Happy professional holiday! May every shift end with a smile.

Wishes for a fellow nurse

• Dear colleague, happy Nurses Day! Thank you for your support on every shift, for always having my back and for your humor even in the hardest moments. I wish you health, rest and the recognition you deserve.
• Happy professional holiday! Every shift is easier with you. May your patients be grateful and your managers attentive.
• Happy International Nurses Day! May your professionalism be valued at work and may warmth and comfort wait for you at home.
• Congratulations, colleague! May your hands never tire, your heart never harden and your life be full of bright days.

For a head nurse

• Dear head nurse, happy professional holiday! Thank you for your experience, wise advice and care for the whole team. We wish you health and strength.
• Happy Nurses Day! Your organization and kindness keep our ward running in harmony. May your work bring you joy.

Thank-you notes from patients

• Thank you for your care and kind words when things were hardest. Happy Nurses Day! Health to you and your family.
• Happy professional holiday! Your smile healed as well as any medicine. Thank you sincerely for everything.
• Happy International Nurses Day! Thank you for your patience, attentiveness and humanity. May your kindness come back to you.

Funny Nurses Day wishes

• Happy Nurses Day! May the only “emergency call” in your life be an invitation to a party.
• Congratulations to the person who can give a shot before the patient even has time to get scared!
• Happy professional holiday! May your night-shift coffee always be hot and the shift itself always be calm.
• Happy Nurses Day! May patients listen the first time and doctors write legibly.
• Congratulations! May the most serious diagnosis in your life be “acute vacation deficiency” — and may it be cured quickly.

Official greetings

• Dear nurses! Warm congratulations on International Nurses Day. Thank you for your professionalism, compassion and dedication. We wish you good health, strength and grateful patients.
• The hospital team congratulates our nurses on their professional holiday. Your work is the foundation of care for every patient.

Nurses Day poems

Happy Nurses Day, kind and true,
Your gentle hands bring hope and care,
May all the good you give come back to you
And joy be with you everywhere!

May every shift be calm and bright,
Your patients grateful every day,
May rest and joy come after night
And happiness be on its way!

Flowers for a nurse

A bouquet is the simplest way to thank a nurse who cared for you or your loved ones. Choose tender arrangements without a strong scent. Another professional holiday is Accountant’s Day; birthday texts for coworkers are in our birthday wishes for a colleague.

View full-size photo

More ideas in our roses and flowers in a box collections.

View full-size photo

FAQ

When is Nurses Day?

May 12 is International Nurses Day, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday.

How is it different from Medical Workers Day?

Medical Workers Day in Ukraine is celebrated on the third Sunday of June and honors all healthcare workers. May 12 is specifically for nurses.

What gift suits a nurse?

A bouquet, sweets for the whole ward, hand cream, a nice coffee mug or a gift card for some rest.

Another holiday for those who save lives is Rescuers Day.

Another healthcare holiday is Pharmacist’s Day (third Saturday of September).

Thank those who care for others, too: Social Sector Workers Day wishes.

Dental assistants and dentists are greeted on 9 February: see our Dentist Day wishes.

View full-size photo

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.