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In the nursing field the registered nurse symbol is used to display the accomplishment of completing nursing school. It has come to be a symbolic representation of how the nursing profession, and healthcare in general, is a caring and nurturing one for over the last century.

The ever present registered nurse symbol in nursing school is displayed in the profession as a whole. But who knows what the registered nurse symbol really is? We do, so keep reading.

The symbolic representation of two intertwined snakes appeared early in Babylonia and is related to other serpent symbols of fertility, wisdom, and healing, and of sun gods. This staff of Hermes was carried by Greek heralds and ambassadors and became a Roman mark for truce, neutrality, and noncombatant status.

By regulation since 1902 it has been the insignia with the healthcare branch in the U.S. Army. The caduceus is much used like a symbolic representation of commerce, postal service, and ambassadorial positions and since the 16th cent. has largely replaced the one-snake symbolic representation of Asclepius as being a image of medicine.

Some people see the registered nurse symbol or Caduceus as a negative symbol for the profession, but even still, it’s a positive symbol of caring for those of us in the profession. No matter what the registered nurse symbol might seem like to others, to the common public it still remains a image from the nursing and medical fields in general, and consequently stands as a positive symbolic representation for them and a sense of comfort.

This goes on to give the public a comforting feeling as they know how it is linked to healthcare in general. We nurses don’t look at it and think of the negative connotations associated with it from ancient mythology, we regard it as being a image of pride.

Many “medical” organizations use a registered nurse symbol of a short rod entwined by two snakes and topped by a pair of wings, which is actually the caduceus or magic wand of the Greek god Hermes (Roman Mercury), messenger of the gods, inventor of (magical) incantations, conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves. It is derived from the Greek karykeion = “herald’s staff”, itself based on the word “eruko” meaning restrain, control.

The registered nurse symbol or caduceus is used by other types of organizations, these are generally commercial or military in the U.S. Countries like New Zealand uses include pharmaceutical companies. A study confirmed that the connection of the caduceus and medicine was solidified around the 7th century A.D.

The link between the caduceus of Hermes (Mercury) and medicine seems to have arisen by the seventh century A.D., when Hermes had come to be linked with alchemy. Alchemists were referred to as the sons of Hermes, as Hermetists or Hermeticists and as “practitioners of the hermetic arts”. There are clear occult associations with the caduceus.

The magic staff of Mercury, otherwise known as Hermes, was the Caduceus. Associated today as the registered nurse symbol. Back in the time of Hermes this symbol was an image for heralds and commerce, not medicine. The other words associated with this symbol were caducity, imply temporality, and senility. While the nursing profession touts vitality, renewal, and health.

Otoscopes Its meaning is ‘heralds staff’ from the Greek word karykeion. Itself based on the word ‘eruko’ meaning control or restrain. There are clear occult associations with the caduceus. This symbol has stood for medicine since the sixteenth century when it replaced the staff of Asclepius.

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