A Tribute for National Nurses Week
Over the past 30 years as a chiropractor, I’ve had the privilege of caring for people from just about every walk of life — police officers and pilots, teachers and truck drivers, surgeons and septic workers, pastors and plumbers, farmers and financial advisors, athletes and artists.
The list goes on and on. It’s one of the most humbling parts of what I do.
But over time, something became clear.
Out of all those professions, one group shows up in a way that stands out disproportionately from the rest.
Nurses.
And I don’t believe that’s by accident.
When a group of highly trained healthcare professionals consistently chooses a certain type of care, it carries an implicit endorsement that should cause one to pause — and ask a simple question: Why?
Here are my top five reasons — and five lessons — we can learn from our RN friends:
1. The Stress Is Real
Nursing is demanding — physically, mentally, emotionally. Long shifts, constant movement, high stakes. That kind of stress accumulates, and if the body can’t keep up, something gives. Many nurses don’t wait — they stay ahead of it.
Lesson: Health isn’t about avoiding stress — it’s about building the capacity to handle it.
2. They Are Givers
Nurses give — time, energy, attention, care. But you can’t keep giving if you’re running on empty. The ones who last make caring for themselves a necessity.
Lesson: Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish — it’s required if you want to keep showing up for others.
3. They Understand the Body
Nurses see every day that the body is connected. So when care focuses on supporting the nervous system and restoring function, it makes sense. It fits what they already know.
Lesson: The more you understand how your body works, the more you value function — not just symptom relief.
4. They Resonate with Our Philosophy
Even though they work within the medical model, our philosophy still rings true — it makes sense to them. At its roots, nursing has always recognized that healing happens when the conditions are right.
Lesson: The most powerful healthcare works with the body — not against it.
5. They Witness What They Want to Avoid
Nurses don’t read about decline — they see it. Every day. And it changes them. It shifts them from reactive to proactive. Many don’t wait for something to go wrong — because they’ve seen where that road leads.
Lesson: The best time to take care of your health isn’t when something goes wrong — it’s before.
When you step back, it makes sense: the stress they carry, the way they give, the knowledge they have, the philosophy that guides, and what they witness every day.
So during National Nurses Week, this is more than an observation — it’s a thank you and an acknowledgement.
To those who show up when it matters most. Who carry responsibility many will never fully understand. Who stepped forward during one of the most challenging seasons in healthcare — often at great personal cost — and weren’t always supported on the other side.
We see you. We appreciate you.
And from this chiropractor — thank you.
