What are you so passionate about that it feels like you wouldn’t be whole if you didn’t pursue it? When we ask this question to a room of nursing students, their questions may vary. Some say they want to save lives, others say they want to be just like their mom, friend, or relative or because they have an affinity for medicine and helping others. Whatever our reasons are, there are two things that every single nursing student must have to successfully survive nursing school: grit and the genuine passion to help others.
Nursing school is a tough journey. There will be plenty of things to test our grit and passions, and oftentimes, we may find ourselves cracking from the pressure and stress. Whenever we feel like we can’t do it anymore, turn to God and ask for His guidance, comfort, and support through these prayers for nursing students.
Nursing student prayer
Almighty God, my Great Comforter,
Hear the praises I sing to You. You are gracious and kind, powerful and gentle, always glorious and clothed in majesty. I am a mere sheep in Your pasture, yet You have not forsaken me, especially in times when I needed You the most.
Forgive me for the times when I turned towards sin and ungodliness and strayed from Your pasture. Forgive me for the days when I followed my wrongful ambitions instead of letting myself be guided by Your Will and Your Word. Scold me gently, O Lord, and look upon me with mercy and compassion.
I may be in a tough spot, but no words can express how grateful I am to be where I am now. My life has been a series of opportunities woven with hardships, but they’re opportunities nonetheless. Thank You, Lord, for the fact that I am in nursing school, preparing to enter one of the most noble professions. My younger self never would’ve imagined that I would be chasing my dreams so bravely and passionately. Thank You for all the fruits of my labor that I get to enjoy–for the things as simple as an A+ or a treat after exams or something as big as major internships and opportunities to meet the best of the nursing field. Thank You for the challenges that strengthened me and pushed my capabilities to a higher level.
Now, I am faced with new challenges. Each semester gets harder than the last, but I enjoy the new experiences and knowledge they bring. Grant me the strength I need to overcome obstacles. Shift my perspective from seeing them as ‘hindrances’ to my success and instead view them as my power-ups and boosters for the future ‘levels’ of my life and career.
I know that this will not be the last of my trials, O Lord. Whenever I’m at the edge of despair and close to giving up, remind me of the goal that rests upon my heart–a reminder not only of my dreams but of the countless lives I could help save one day. May these challenges remind me of my noble duty, that the world needs heroes in the medical field now more than ever. May the sleepless nights and tear-stained notes fuel my success. Let all the pressure and stress be worth it.
I know that the victory I will one day attain is not just mine but also a victory for the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the struggling, the gifted, and the less fortunate. I know that with You beside me, no hardship is too great.
I reach for success with Your name on my lips and Your banner in my hand.
Amen.
Short prayer for nursing students
Eternal Lord,
I ask for Your guidance throughout my journey as a nursing student. I know that the career I chose won’t always be rainbows and sweet success, so help me endure the hard days–the days when I am on the verge of breaking down and giving up. I pray that in the long run, all my experiences, both good and bad, will build me into a hero for those who need my help and care the most.
Amen.
The Word of God
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 NRSVUE
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us
Hebrews 12:1 NRSVUE
I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 NRSVUE
For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37 NRSVUE
Intercessory prayer to Saint Agatha of Sicily
Saint Agatha,
Blessed are you among nurses and caregivers, for you have guided me and those before me through the trials in our career.
I ask for your aid now that I am exhausted and burnt out. I chose this path, but I cannot travel it alone. As I put on my uniform, may it remind me of the honor and duty it symbolizes. Guide my hands and bless my heart with compassion and gentleness as I tend to the needs of others. May You carry my pleas for strength and guidance to the Lord. Deliver me to success.
I also pray for my fellow nursing students, especially those who struggle more than I do. We all have our personal reasons for pursuing this career, but in the end, we’re all in this together. I pray that we will be able to support each other through the pressure of nursing school and find comfort and memorable companionship among each other.
One day, I want all of us to look back on the times we spent crying over difficult projects or a rejected opportunity, of the days we spent dreading the revelation of our grades and academic performance, and know that all our troubles and worries were worth it.
Saint Agatha, pray for me and all nursing students everywhere. Amen.
Further reflection
The road to being a nurse is no easy path. Nursing students go through a rigorous education program that will test our academic, analytical, and practical abilities. Oftentimes, we will experience challenges in different forms: difficult tests and lessons, scary professors, limited resources, and more. These ‘obstacles’ might be God’s way of asking us if we really want it. The saying goes, “if there is a will, there is a way”. If we want something, we will do everything we can to make it possible, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have difficulty with it.
If it feels like we’re pushing a boulder up a mountain, we should pat ourselves on the back because it means we’re really working towards our goal instead of overthinking or making excuses. Don’t forget to rest every now and then. Most of all, always offer a nursing student prayer to God—thank Him for the distance you’ve traveled and ask for His guidance for the miles ahead.
It is only through His grace that we can fight the good fight and finish the race.
