International Nurses Day 2026: A Young Heart for the Future of Care
/Some journeys into nursing take years of quiet certainty. Others begin with a school uniform glimpsed through a window, a language learned from movies and podcasts, and a mother who says: do something that will always open doors for you.
Sarah Mbenza’s journey is one of the second kind - and it is one of the most remarkable we have heard.
A journey of resilience and early impact
This International Nurses Day 2026, as we celebrate the ICN theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” we are proud to shine a spotlight on Sarah Mbenza: a nurse who arrived in South Africa as a teenager speaking only French, taught herself English from scratch, fell in love with nursing in her very first year, and was nominated for this recognition - by Quintis Kotze and the team at Nursing Services of South Africa - before she had completed her first full year in the field.
International Nurses Day is observed every year on 12 May - the birthday of Florence Nightingale - in honour of the contributions nurses make to healthcare worldwide. The 2026 theme feels especially personal when you hear a story like Sarah’s. Empowerment is not an abstract concept. It looks like a young woman who refused to give up, found her calling, and is already changing lives.
A Holiday That Became a Home
Sarah arrived in South Africa in 2017 - not to study, not to build a career, but simply for a holiday. She was a teenager with no intention of staying.
Then she saw the school uniforms.
“I just loved the way the students looked - the uniform, everything. So I just wanted to try. I thought, you know what, I’m not going back.” - Sarah Mbenza
There was one problem: Sarah spoke French. South Africa’s schools taught in English. Her father handed her some books and sent her to school anyway.
“I didn’t know English at all. So, I used everything I could get my hands on - school books, movies, podcasts, translators. Step by step, I was getting there.” - Sarah Mbenza
She sat in classrooms where she understood very little, smiled through conversations she could not follow, and quietly built her English from the ground up. Her school had French-speaking students who could bridge the gap when lessons became too much. But the determination was entirely her own.
It is the kind of determination that cannot be taught. You either have it or you do not. Sarah has it in abundance.
The Calling, Not the Plan
Sarah’s original ambition was medicine. Her marks steered her elsewhere, and when she applied to university, she was accepted into public administration - a respectable path, but not quite the right one. It was her mother - an ICU nurse herself - who nudged her toward nursing. Not with pressure, but with wisdom: do something that will always give you work, no matter where you are in the world.
“I wasn’t really into nursing at first. But I told myself: let me just try first year. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll do something else. But in first year - I just fell in love.” - Sarah Mbenza
She completed her three-year diploma, graduated in September 2025, received her SANC registration shortly after, and moved directly into the field. Within months, she had already been nominated for this recognition by Quintis Kotze and the broader Nursing Services of South Africa team.
That is what it looks like when someone finds their calling - and has the right environment around them to pursue it.
Being Young on the Ward: The Pressure Nobody Talks About
Sarah is refreshingly honest about what it feels like to walk onto a ward as one of the youngest faces there. The imposter feeling is real. The pressure to know everything immediately is real. And the dynamics between nursing generations - also real.
“When you’re new and you ask questions, some people think you’re stupid. The way they answer you, the way they look at you - you start doubting yourself. You think: maybe I’m not ready for this.” - Sarah Mbenza
She also speaks candidly about the generational tension on wards between nurses who embrace newer approaches and those who have always done things a particular way.
“We’re working in 2026 and some are still doing it like it’s the 1980s. There’s tension because of that. But I think we just have a different approach - and both have value.” - Sarah Mbenza
And the pressure of wanting to learn everything at once?
“You see others doing things you can’t do yet and you want to know it all immediately. When I can’t find a vein, I know I need to call someone - but I also feel that pressure of what will they think? That’s the reality nobody talks about enough.” - Sarah Mbenza
This is why psychological safety on wards matters. A culture where newly qualified nurses feel confident asking questions is not soft management - it is patient safety infrastructure. The 2026 IND theme makes this explicit: empowering nurses is not optional.
Wellbeing Is Not a Bonus - It Is the Foundation
Ask Sarah how she protects her mental health and she gives one of the clearest, most grounded answers you will hear from a nurse at any experience level.
“When you go to work, just go to work. You’re not there to make friends. Because once you start making friends, the gossip comes in, the fighting comes in, the division. I just mind my own business. Work is work. And my social life is at home.” - Sarah Mbenza
She also reflects on how social media helped her recognise a struggle before she had fully admitted it to herself.
“Sometimes you’re trying to be strong, and you don’t realise it’s affecting your mental health. Social media actually helped me see that. It made me stop and think - no, I have been going through this for the longest time.” - Sarah Mbenza
Off duty, Sarah keeps it simple: sleep, reading, food, and time with her sisters. Her mother and family, all based in South Africa, are her anchor.
The lesson for healthcare managers and ward leaders is clear: nurses who have genuine psychological support and professional boundaries do not burn out as quickly. Retention starts with the work environment, not the exit interview.
How Nursing Services of South Africa Empowers Nurses Like Sarah
At Nursing Services of South Africa, empowerment is not something we talk about on 12 May and forget by 13 May. It is built into how we operate every single day.
We know that a nurse who feels unsupported, financially stretched, or professionally stuck cannot give their best to the patients who need them. So, we have built a system designed to remove those barriers - practically, not just in principle.
Flexibility that puts nurses in control. Through our Staffshift platform - available on desktop and as a free mobile app - nurses manage their own availability, browse shifts in their area, update compliance documents, download timesheets, and access 24/7 live chat support from their phone.
Competitive pay rates with weekly payments directly into your bank account.
Training that opens doors. We believe the more you learn, the more you can earn.
SANC fee support. We offer a payment plan that spreads the cost of annual SANC registration throughout the year.
Over 80 years of trust. Established in 1943, we place nurses across South Africa in private hospitals, government and military facilities, old-age homes, occupational health settings, rural projects, and more.
Sarah is part of this community. And we are proud to walk alongside her.
What Keeps Her Going: The Patients
“It’s the patients. Some of them are just so nice. And when you know that you’re able to help someone who is in pain, or be with someone in their last days and see them smile - I start taking them as family. That’s what keeps me going.” - Sarah Mbenza
Empowered nurses save lives. Sarah is proof of that, shift by shift, patient by patient.
Her Advice to Young Nurses
“Make sure your English is sorted first. And make sure nursing is really what you want to do - not because you see people making money, but because it is your calling. The books are big. The work is hard. But if it is for you, just come, focus, and study.” - Sarah Mbenza
Shocked, Grateful - and Already Making Her Mark
When Sarah found out she had been nominated as the nurse of the year by Quintis Kotze and the team at Nursing Services of South Africa, she could hardly believe it.
“I’m new, obviously. So I was just shocked. Finding out I’m one of the most recent graduates to be nominated made it even more special.” - Sarah Mbenza
Her biggest supporters have been her mother and sister - the two women who kept her going through every long study night and every difficult moment along the way.
“Even when it got tough, they kept pushing me. My mum and my sister - they’ve been my support through everything.” - Sarah Mbenza
Happy International Nurses Day, Sarah. From French to English, from a holiday that became a home - look how far you have come.
Are you a newly qualified nurse ready to take the next step?
Register with Nursing Services of South Africa and join a team that truly sees you.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions reflect what patients, nurses, students, and healthcare employers are searching for around International Nurses Day 2026 and empowered nursing in South Africa.
When is International Nurses Day 2026?
International Nurses Day is observed every year on 12 May - the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The 2026 theme set by the International Council of Nurses is “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.”
What does ‘empowered nurses’ actually mean in practice?
Nurse empowerment covers three interconnected areas: professional autonomy (the freedom to practise at the top of one’s scope), psychological safety (a workplace where asking questions is encouraged, not penalised), and structural support (fair pay, manageable workloads, access to continuing education, and recognition). Sarah’s story demonstrates all three - she found an environment that supported her growth rather than stifling it.
What are the biggest challenges facing newly qualified nurses in South Africa today?
South Africa’s newly qualified nurses face a combination of challenges: imposter syndrome on wards where seniority is conflated with competence; generational tensions between nurses trained in different eras; financial pressure, particularly around SANC registration fees in the first year of practice; and limited mentorship structures in many public facilities. Agency nursing through a provider such as Nursing Services of South Africa can give newly qualified nurses exposure to a wider range of clinical environments faster than a single-facility posting, which accelerates both skill and confidence.
How does agency nursing work for a newly qualified nurse in South Africa?
Once you hold a valid SANC registration as a registered nurse, you can register with a nursing agency. At Nursing Services of South Africa, the process is straightforward: register free via our Staffshift platform or WhatsApp, upload your CV and supporting documents, and our team contacts you to discuss preferences and available shifts across all nine provinces. You receive weekly pay directly to your bank account and can manage your own availability through the app.
Does Nursing Services of South Africa help with SANC registration fees?
Yes. We offer a SANC fee payment plan that spreads the cost of annual renewal throughout the year, reducing the financial pressure that catches many nurses - particularly newly qualified ones - off guard.
What types of healthcare settings can an agency nurse work in through Nursing Services of South Africa?
We place nurses across a wide range of settings: private and government hospitals, military and academic facilities, day clinics, old-age homes and frail care, occupational health and mining sites, correctional services, rural and remote facilities, and GP practices. Our placements cover all nursing specialisations, from general ward and casualty to ICU, theatre, midwifery, neonatal, and occupational health.
Why does nurse wellbeing matter to patient outcomes?
Research consistently links nurse burnout to higher rates of patient errors, longer hospital stays, and reduced patient satisfaction. When nurses have boundaries, psychological support, fair workloads, and meaningful recognition - as Sarah describes - they bring more sustained focus and compassion to patient care. This is not a welfare argument. It is a clinical quality argument.
How do I nominate a nurse or healthcare worker for recognition?
Complete the nomination form below, or contact the Nursing Services of South Africa team directly via info@nurses.co.za or WhatsApp on 060 070 2436. Nominations like the one Quintis Kotze and the team made for Sarah help us identify the nurses whose stories deserve to be heard - and whose contribution deserves to be celebrated.
Nominate A Nurse Now
Help us celebrate exceptional nurses making a difference in healthcare across South Africa. To submit your nomination, please prepare the following:
- Your Full Name
- Your Email Address
- Your Contact Number
- The Full Name of the Nurse You Are Nominating
- Their Email Address
- Their Contact Number
- Where They Practice
- A Short Motivation Explaining Why You Are Nominating This Nurse
- A Photo of the Nurse (JPG or PNG Format)
Once you have all the above information ready, you can proceed with your nomination.
