On this anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12th, the world's honouring International Nurses Day. Southport's Assiniboine Community College nursing student Mary Hildebrand hails from Morden and explains why she's taking her studies.

"Interestingly enough, growing up I never wanted to be a nurse," says Hildebrand. "People would actually tell me I should be a nurse. I'd say no. But then about seven years ago I started working in a hospital environment, and I saw what the nurses did. I said I really loved what they did and began thinking of it quite seriously."

Since she began study she notes she has more respect for what nurses do. Hildebrand explains people don't realize all of the details involved in the profession, and after learning about them notes it's quite impressive to realize how much is involved in caring for people.

Sydney Taylor's also a student and has these words for anyone considering the nursing course, "Go full-force. It's so rewarding. We haven't had too much practice in the clinical setting. But just in the school's lab, I find it's so rewarding. Once you're in it, you just know. It's really fun."

(L-R) Sydney Talyor & Mary Hildebrand