I have grown up immersed in the medical profession.

My father had open heart surgery when I was very young, my sister is extremely accident prone, and as life went on, my father collected surgeries like rare trading cards. I also spent a large amount of time in the doctor's office for my cystic acne.

Nurses have surrounded me my entire life — whether it be from being in hospitals and offices or hearing stories from my friend's moms who were nurses. I was always so fascinated with them; maybe that's why I'm pursuing a nursing degree right now.

Nurses are the saints who keep us alive when we need medical assistance.

Sure, doctors are important too, but they're just the ones giving the orders. Nurses are the ones who are fighting for you and keeping you alive. They are the ones working the exhausting twelve plus hour shifts getting screamed at while still fighting for that patient's health. They are working on you on Christmas and Thanksgiving, wishing they were with their family. They give up a lot to be with you and have worked their butts off to be able to take care of you.

Here's a thank you to all of the nurses out there.

Thank you for continuing to work your ass off even though you feel like you want to quit.

Thank you for pushing through the burnout to continue helping the world.

Thank you for fighting for the best interest of your patients even when they treated you like crap.

Thank you for standing up for us to the doctors who think you know nothing. You are the reason that we are alive today and the reason we put our trust in the medical field.

Thank you for all of the countless nights that you stayed up whilst your eyes were burning in order to memorize a medical process or concept.

Thank you for pushing through all of the times when you thought that you couldn't be a nurse and were ready to give up.

Thank you for all the early morning clinicals and shifts and all the late nights spent thinking.

Thank you for all the times you gave up time for yourself or time for your family in order to help your patients.

Thank you for never giving up.

I know that people have ways of trying to degrade you and make you feel like you are nothing more than a wanna-be doctor, but just know that you, and nursing students like me, are the most inspiring people in our lives.

I know that you are never thanked enough for all the things that you do, but just know that there are people out there who think that you are the superheroes that keep this world turning. You are the people that we look up to.

No matter if you are an STNA, CNA, LPN, RN, RN BSN, or an NP, you are important to this world and you should take pride in what you do. You are no less of a nurse because you have a different certification than the person standing next to you.

You have dedicated your life to saving those who cannot save themselves.

Thank you, nurses, for all that you do. Thank you for saving the people who need you most and thank you for fighting for us when we cannot fight ourselves.