Announcing Phase II of the INF Rural Health Initiative! We recognize and reward dedicated nurses serving rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Launching March 24, 2025, our innovative retention program reduces nurse turnover by offering $2,500 awards to nurses with at least one continuous year of rural healthcare service. Beyond financial support, these awards honor nurses’ commitment, enhance job satisfaction, and strengthen patient trust. Applications are open until June 1, 2025, with awards distributed in July. Self-nominations encouraged. Join us in supporting the rural nurses who ensure quality healthcare for our communities.

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Honor a Nurse Program: Celebrating Excellence in Nursing

Honor a Nurse "Nurses Week" Cash Raffle. For $25 you get two entries into the raffle, one for yourself and one for the nurse you wish to honor. Self-nominations are acceptable!

The Honor a Nurse Program is a year-round initiative dedicated to celebrating and honoring the exceptional contributions of nurses. This comprehensive program offers numerous ways for families, patients, and the community to recognize the extraordinary compassion and excellent care nurses provide.

Open March 1 - May 11. Continuing our tradition of giving back, this event supports the foundation's efforts while celebrating Nurses' Week. Purchase a ticket in Honor of a Nurse and receive an entry into the drawing for yourself and the honoree. Honor a Nurse "Nurses Week" Cash Raffle. Drawing to be held May 12th at 12p. Someone will walk away with up to $500.00.

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The nursing pin is a symbol of pride for nurses; showing what nursing program they graduated from, tying together all graduates from that specific program, and the whole profession of nursing. The Nightingale Training School for Nurses started by Florence Nightingale in 1860 (Karimi & Masoudi Alavi, 2015) was the first nursing program to award what was then called a badge that evolved into the pins of today symbolizing what the new graduates had learned. Florence Nightingale presented the badges at a pinning ceremony that began the tradition of awarding pins and pinning new graduate nurses that has survived to the present (Carrington College, 2017; Concorde Staff, 2024).

Representing each nursing program, the individual pins vary in design. What is on the nursing pin reflects the history of the nursing program, its mission, vision, and philosophy that molded the graduates and their educational path. There are a variety of symbols used, often starting with a cross shape reflecting the first badges taken from the Maltese Cross given to the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist who were trained to care for soldiers in the 16th century (Malta Uncovered, 2006-2024). The symbols may vary from a lamp such as Nightingale carried at Scutari on her rounds caring for the wounded and sick soldiers in the Crimean War in 1854 (Karimi & Masoudi Alavi, 2015) to a caduceus (Nursingpin.com, 2024; Rode, 1989).

We are sharing some photos of nursing pins worn by nurses who work in Illinois. Some are from nurses who have graduated from nursing programs in this state. Some nursing pins are from nurses who now practice in Illinois but graduated from nursing programs in other states. All reflect the dedication of those who are on the front lines, caring for those in need in all nursing specialties and all locations where nurses practice the art and science of nursing.

Read all the stories submitted with pins here.