More than a century after Florence Nightingale became known as the lady with the lamp for walking through hospital wards caring for wounded soldiers late into the night, nurses across South Africa still carry that same spirit of service, quietly showing up for people on their worst days.

Behind clinic doors and hospital curtains are healthcare workers enduring exhausting shifts, emotional burnout, overcrowded facilities, and, at times, harsh criticism from the very communities they serve.

Yet, every morning, they return to their posts to comfort strangers, hold frightened patients’ hands, deliver life-saving care, and carry the emotional weight that comes with watching both life and loss unfold daily.

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Every year, on May 12, it is International Nurses Day, which is celebrated globally to mark the anniversary of the birth of Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

That spirit lives on. At Witkoppen Clinic and Rhiza Babuyile Diepsloot Clinic, nurses like Anzani Mukhavhuli, Davindri Moodley, and Nompumelelo Mudulahothe speak about nursing not simply as a job, but as something deeply personal, shaped by childhood memories, community struggles, and the desire to care for people during their most vulnerable moments.

Becoming a nurse for Mukhavhuli was personal. Growing up, she witnessed the realities of poor healthcare access in her village.

“What inspired me was poor health supply and poor knowledge in my village, having to see people from my village travelling a long distance going to get healthcare facilities and them not being well informed about health-related matters.”

She remembers how difficult it was for many residents to access medical care, especially when clinics were understaffed and waiting times stretched for hours. “I wanted to try and help my community and to have better health services.”

Her journey into nursing officially began in 2015, when she enrolled at a nursing college, eventually graduating in 2019 before beginning her work as a professional nurse. Years later, it is still the small victories that keep her motivated.

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“The most rewarding part of being a nurse, to me personally, is having to see a person who came to a healthcare facility unable to do anything and having to see them going back home feeling much better and being able to continue with their normal day-to-day life.”

Sometimes, the reminders that her work matters arrive unexpectedly. One moment that stayed with her came after a patient’s mother commented online about the care she had witnessed.

“She saw me interacting and giving education to other patients, the way I do it with care and love. So, it reminded me of how much I love nursing and I love doing it every day.”

Through her work, Mukhavhuli says she has learned one of life’s most important lessons: Gratitude. “People are different. Life is unpredictable and we must always be grateful of life.”

She also acknowledges the emotional weight nurses carry daily. “Nursing is interesting. Nursing is hard. Nursing needs passion. It takes a huge part of you to be a nurse every day.”

She hopes communities will remember that, behind every healthcare interaction is someone trying their best to help. “They should respect us. They should know that we are trying our level best to give them the best services that they need, and we love what we do.”

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For Moodley, the dream began with admiration. The nursing uniform was to die for, according to her. “My passion for nursing began when I was very young. I was fascinated by the way nurses wore their crisp white uniforms, caps, and pens neatly placed in their pockets as they smiled and walked from patient to patient.”

At the time, she did not fully understand the responsibilities nurses carried, but she was drawn to the compassion they embodied. She said her path into nursing was not straightforward.

After applying for student nurse positions across the province without success, she was eventually offered a post more than 1 000km away from home.

“For someone who had never travelled far, or spent much time away from family, it was a daunting decision.”

Before accepting, she prayed, and asked her father for permission. “When he said yes, my challenging yet rewarding journey in nursing truly began.”

Over the years, Moodley worked in hospitals and clinics across different provinces, gathering experience and perspective.

“One of the greatest rewards in nursing is caring for a critically ill patient over several weeks and witnessing their recovery day by day until they are well again. That feeling brings immense joy to my heart.”

But nursing also comes with heartbreak. “You try not to become too attached to patients, especially those who are very ill, because their loss can be deeply traumatic. Walking into your next shift and seeing an empty bed where a patient once lay is never easy.”

Her years in healthcare have taught her that nursing is far more than medicine and procedures. “Nursing requires patience, calmness, compassion, and strength. There is so much more to healthcare than diagnosis and treatment, and at the centre of it all is the nurse.”

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Her message to the community is that they be kind to nurses. “There is no clinic, hospital, or medical practice without a nurse.”

She also encourages people to take their health seriously before illness forces them to. “Take care of yourselves, attend your regular check-ups, take your medication as prescribed, and never ignore your health.”

For Mudulahothe, a healthcare manager overseeing the Mpathy Nursepreneur Clinics, in partnership with Viatris, nursing has always felt natural. “My inspiration to become a nurse came from a genuine love for caring for and helping people when they are most helpless and at their lowest.”

As a child, she often accompanied her grandmother to the clinic and made sure she took her medication every day. “These acts of care were never a burden, they felt instinctive and fulfilling.”

Although she initially pursued electrical engineering after matric, everything changed when an opportunity to apply for nursing arose. “I did not hesitate for a moment. I applied immediately, and when I was accepted, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place.”

During her training, she realised she had found exactly where she belonged. “Caring for patients, supporting them through vulnerability, and being part of their healing journey confirmed that nursing is not just a career for me, but a calling.”

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Among the many lives she has touched, one story remains especially close to her heart. A 35-year-old woman once came to her seeking help after struggling with fertility concerns. Mudulahothe supported her through consultations, testing, and treatment over an eight-month journey.

“She trusted me throughout her journey, and eventually she became pregnant and gave birth to two beautiful twins.”

Moments like those remind her why she chose nursing. “The most rewarding part of being a nurse is seeing my patients’ health improve, witnessing pregnant women give birth to healthy babies, and knowing that the care I provide brings hope to those who are suffering.”

Nursing, she says, has taught her humanity above all else. “I have learned to treat everyone equally and with the same love and respect that I would wish to receive.”

She believes people often forget that nurses stand beside patients during some of the hardest moments of their lives. “Nurses are there to care, support, educate, and stand beside people in some of their hardest moments.”

Despite difficult conditions, they continue to return every day because they genuinely care.

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