Honoring the Heart of Healthcare – National Nurses Day

by Stanley LearyPhotography

Rose Nantonah, a nurse, is setting up an IV with a child patient at the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu, Ghana.

Today is National Nurses Day, and I want to take a moment to recognize the often unseen and underappreciated heroes working on the front lines of healthcare worldwide: nurses.

In my work as a visual storyteller, I’ve had the privilege of photographing nurses in Ghana, Togo, and Nicaragua, and what I witnessed left a lasting impact on me.

Surgeon Danny Crawley is in theatre doing a hernia operation, and Comfort Bawa, a nurse theatre assistant, helps him at the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu, Ghana.

Today, on International Nurses Day, we honor the dedicated nurses at Baptist Medical Centre (BMC) in Nalerigu, Ghana. Since its founding in 1958 by IMB missionary Dr. George Faile II, BMC has been a beacon of healing and hope in northern Ghana. Nurses at BMC play a vital role in providing compassionate care, often going above and beyond their duties to serve patients from Ghana and neighboring countries.

Mary Bukuri and Twumasi Bawa, nurses, help George Faile, general practitioner, with his early rounds seeing patients at the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu, Ghana.

Nurses at BMC are the heart of this mission. From the pioneering days of missionary nurse Diana Floretta Lay, who served for 37 years and helped expand the hospital from 40 to 110 beds, to today’s local professionals like Senior Nursing Officer Kingsley Kombat, their commitment has never wavered. Despite resource limitations, these nurses provide critical care gracefully and resiliently, often under challenging conditions. Their work addresses physical ailments and embodies the love and compassion central to their faith, profoundly impacting the communities they serve.

Even in the absence of nurses in the frame, their presence is felt in every bandage, every IV drip, and every step toward healing. On this Nurses Day, we celebrate the unseen heroes at Hôpital Baptiste Biblique, whose tireless care supports patients through some of their most vulnerable moments.

We celebrate the extraordinary nurses serving at Hôpital Baptiste Biblique (HBB) in Tsiko, Togo. Since its founding in 1985, HBB has provided compassionate, Christ-centered care to thousands, with nurses at the heart of this mission. These dedicated professionals not only tend to physical ailments but also share the hope of the gospel with every patient, embodying a holistic approach to healing.

The hospital’s three-year Nursing Education Program, established in 1997, has been instrumental in training Togolese men and women to serve their communities through nursing. Graduates of this program are equipped to provide care that addresses spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs. Their commitment has been vital in sustaining the hospital’s operations and expanding its reach through mobile health clinics and community health evangelism initiatives.

Nurse Tracy Warner gently checks on a woman struggling to breathe, just a day before she would pass away. With limited options, all Tracy could offer was pain relief and her compassionate presence in the woman’s final hours. On Nurses Day, we honor caregivers like Tracy who bring comfort when healing is no longer possible.

In Nicaragua, I had the honor of documenting Tracy Warner, a nurse who ventured into remote villages to care for people who rarely, if ever, saw a medical professional. With no backup team, no modern equipment, and limited resources, Tracy offered what she had — skilled hands, a listening ear, and a heart for the people she served. Watching her work was a powerful reminder that healthcare isn’t just about medicine — it’s about presence.

These moments remind me that nursing is more than a job—it’s a calling. While today many of us will celebrate nurses in our local hospitals and clinics (rightfully so!), let’s also remember those serving quietly, faithfully, and courageously in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places.

I’m sharing a few photos to show the conditions and honor the spirit of care that transcends borders.

To all the nurses out there: Thank you. You are seen, appreciated, and a hero.