What Makes a Nurse? Are We All Alike?

What does it really mean to be a nurse?

It’s a question I’ve found myself thinking about often, especially as I connect with more and more nurses through Nurse Uplift. While every nurse brings something unique to the table, there’s no denying that certain traits seem to pop up again and again. It’s like we’re all cut from different cloths… but woven with our own eccentricities and lovable qualities.

So, what are those threads? What do nurses — across departments, fields, specialties, states, and even countries — seem to have in common?

Here are some of the most common characteristics I’ve noticed in nurses through my work as a nurse and a nurse educator:

💙 Compassionate Hearts

Nurses feel deeply. We care not just for people, but about them. That emotional connection increases the ability to step into someone else’s experience is what allows us to comfort, advocate, and truly be present in moments of pain, fear, or joy. It allows us to be empathic professionals. A truly emotionally intelligent person is someone that utilizes empathy in daily interactions.

Quick Thinkers, Constant Learners

From the ER to the bedside to community health, nurses are always solving problems on the fly. Critical thinking is second nature, and learning never stops. Whether it’s adapting to a sudden change in condition or picking up a new protocol, nurses are lifelong students of the body, the system, and the soul. Healthcare is constantly changing, therefore, nurses have to be adaptable as new technologies are integrated into nursing.

Resilient Spirits

Let’s be honest, this job is not for the faint of heart. The emotional weight, the long hours, the missed holidays, the tough patients. And yet, we come back. We bounce back. We find strength in the moments that test us most.

A Drive to Serve

At the core of it all, nurses are helpers. We didn’t choose this path for recognition or praise. We chose it because there’s something in us that needs to serve, to heal, to make someone’s day (or life) just a little bit better.

So… Are We All Alike?

Not exactly — and that’s the magic.
Nursing attracts all kinds of personalities: the quiet observer, the bold advocate, the science nerd, the people-person, the natural leader. Some of us are high-energy go-getters, others are calm, grounding presences. Some love procedures, others thrive in education or mental health.

But here’s the thing: while we’re not all the same, we are all connected.

We share a purpose. A pulse. A desire to show up in the world with care and intention.
That’s what makes someone want to be a nurse.
That’s what keeps us going, shift after shift.
And that’s what binds us, even in our differences.

Whether you’re new to nursing or have been in it for decades, take a moment today to recognize the traits that make you you — and the shared spirit that ties us all together.

You’re part of something beautiful.
You are, in every way, an Uplifted Voice. 💙

Betsy Kanz, DNP, RN, CPH