Anderson Hospial
Happy Nurses Week 2026! This year’s theme—The Power of Nurses—couldn’t be more fitting for the heart, skill, and compassion our nurses bring to every patient, every family, every day.
In March, I invited all Anderson Healthcare staff to put that power into words through a poetry contest—capturing what it truly means to be a nurse.
Poetry has a way of reconnecting us to what we feel but don’t always have time to say—those quiet moments of courage, empathy, and presence that define nursing.
As Robert Frost said, poetry is “when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” What a beautiful way to honor the work our nurses do—work that’s filled with both emotion and purpose.
We received 12 incredible poems, each one a reminder of the strength and humanity behind the scrubs. Congratulations to Krystle Grinston, who was selected as our winner!
To everyone who entered—and to every nurse who shows up with steady hands and a caring heart—thank you. Your work changes lives, and our community is stronger because of you.
Join us in celebrating our nurses this week—leave a note of thanks or share a story about a nurse who made a difference for you. The power of nurses is real—and we’re grateful for it.
#NursesWeek2026 #ThePowerOfNurses #ThankYouNurses #AndersonHealthcare
Written by: Krystle Grinston, MA - AMG Goshen CONTEST WINNER!
They say a nurse wears scrubs with a badge and a name on the chest, but some nurses walk barefoot through their homes long after the hospital lights rest. A nurse is the one who listens when the room is heavy with pain, who wipes tears with quiet patience like soft, healing rain. She learns the language of sighs, the meaning behind silent cries, she reads the story in weary eyes before a single word replies. Her medicine is compassion, her tools are love and grace, her calling isn't written on paper but etched deep in her hearts sacred place. At work she may be a Medical Assistant, checking vitals, charting care, but at home she's the midnight healer whispering prayers into the air. She's the one with steady hands when fear shakes everyone else, the calm voice in chaos when a family forgets itself. Because nursing is not a title that only a badge can define, it’s the soul that chooses service again and again, every time. So whether the world calls her MA, mother, sister, daughter, or friend, the truth heaven already knows is this: A nurse is simply a heart that refuses to stop caring until the very end.
Written by: Anonymous 2nd Place
In the quiet hum of the hallway’s light, A steady hand through the deepest night. A bridge between the fear and the cure, With a heart that’s patient and a spirit sure. It’s the science of healing, precise and keen, Mixed with the grace of the things unseen. Checking the pulse, the drip, and the chart, While holding the pieces of a breaking heart. It’s the weary feet and the skipped-over meal, The weight of the things that words can’t heal. A witness to life in its first, soft breath, And a calm, steady presence at the gates of death. Beyond the scrubs and the tired eyes, Is a strength that listens and rarely dies. To be a nurse is to choose the fray— To be the light in someone’s hardest day.
Written by: Lisa Hauter, Staunton Senior Life Social Worker 3rd Place
T ’was the Night Before Nurses Week T ‘was the night before Nurses Week when up and down each hall Every nurse was working diligently to answer each and every call. The charting was documented and completed with care In hopes no auditor would be showing up there. Meds were passed and administered on time Always checking IVs and all the PICC lines. No patient waited long after pushing the call light As nurses promptly arrived with smiles so bright. Patients always came first even when staff became tired. This was the nurses’ promise upon being hired. No shift could be too busy or too long For patient care to be provided wrong. Nurses “Acknowledged” and “Introduced.” They offered “Explanations” and politely gave “Thank Yous.” An RN’s work is never done, As an excellent nurse always cares for someone. Even at the end of a shift, after a long day, The needs of patients always outweigh The nurses’ desire sit and rest, For the dedicated nurses always give their best. They are the backbone, the heartbeat of Anderson and CHS. The most awesome nurses in the Midwest!
Written By : Sarah Napier, IMU Unit Secretary Honorable Mention
STORY OF A NURSE Beep…beep…beep the alarm clock begins to bleat Time for the day to start as she throws herself to her feet Fumbling through the dark hitting her knee on the bed Hopping in the shower having a monsoon of water on her head All ready and heading out the door Four bags in hand oops…she grabs one more Zooming on the road with laser focus Flying like Winifred on her broom in Hocus Pocus Gracefully swooping into the parking spot Lugging her bags as she starts to trot Arriving to the floor and settling in THIS is when the real fun begins Room to room for report they go Introductions all around Hi! Hello! All her patients are waking up As she runs to put more coffee in her cup Round one of assessments and medications While family is on the phone at the nurses station The day is in full swing Her Vocera just continues to ring John says he needs a boost so she lays him flat Meanwhile Bob next door trips and goes splat Calling for orders and off to x-ray This is already a heck of a day Ethel is confused so she gives her a punch There is just no time to try and have lunch The family in her patient’s room seems unhappy She tries to make a joke even if it’s a bit sappy Making it through by laughing through the strain Her surgery patient wants something for pain Quickly running to the restroom for a hand wash and lotion Then back to keeping her med cart in motion Ultra sound, MRI, and CT keep calling All the while she’s trying to keep Bob from falling Calling pharmacy for that medicated cream She’s rolling Mary over as she starts to scream The Dr. is discharging her patient on the mend As her hospice patient is preparing for the end She and the C.N.A. make sure they are warm and dry While she gets Kleenex for the loved one when they start to cry Her ears are always open and her shoulder is always there When she works her heart is always laid bare The day is finally coming to a close Burdens she carries privately no one knows Racing to chart and finish on time She works hard for her money every last dime Driving home she might just break down She keeps thinking she needs a vacation to get out of town She knows this job is a dedication of her soul Making a difference in someone’s life is always the goal When the day comes that she is tired and warry It will be her burdens the nurse must carrry