Some moments in history change more than a single day, they reshape entire professions.

September 11, 2001, was one of those moments.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, and for those who lived through it, the memories remain vivid. For younger generations, 9/11 is a defining chapter in history, one whose impact continues to shape the world they know today.

Dr. Tracy Ortelli, president and chief academic officer for Galen College of Nursing, lived in New Jersey at the time of the attacks.

“I remember driving to work that morning and thinking what a beautiful day it was. It really was beautiful,” Ortelli said. “At about 8:30, I saw a plane fly overhead and thought, ‘Wow, that’s really close to the ground.’ That was the first plane to hit the towers.”

Ortelli says there was a hill in Princeton that sat higher than the surrounding area. From there, people had a clear view of New York City and the Twin Towers. In the hours that followed, crowds gathered in silence, watching the unimaginable unfold before their eyes.

“The world changed that day, it’s a change that will last with us forever,” said Ortelli.

Hundreds of miles away, that shock was no different.

Dr. Audria Denker, Galen’s chief clinical, integration and experience officer, was working at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, that day.

“I was in Room 703. I still remember the room,” Denker said. “I was starting an IV on a child, and he was watching cartoons. Suddenly, the news broke in and said an airplane had hit the tower in New York. It was like you froze. Time stopped for a minute because you were trying to absorb what was happening.”

For Denker, one of the hardest parts was being a nurse so far from where help was desperately needed. Her first thought was simple: How can I help?

“There were so many injuries that nurses were given the opportunity to travel to New York and help care for burn patients,” Denker said. “You saw people put their own needs aside to help others. It was an incredible response.”

In the days and weeks that followed, hundreds of healthcare workers answered the call. But while the immediate response eventually ended, the impact of 9/11 did not.

The attacks changed the nation in countless ways, and nursing was no exception.

Although disasters existed before the attacks, disasters of this scale rarely happened, and so they were never really considered. Because of this, Ortelli says training nurses in mass disasters was more of a specialty training.

“I mean no one really thought something like this could or would ever happen. Now, that training is basic entry level topics,” Ortelli said.

At the time, most nurses were trained and practiced primarily through an individual patient care lens because that was what the job typically required. But as rescue and recovery efforts unfolded at Ground Zero, nurses were suddenly faced with caring for large numbers of severely injured people at once. Patients arrived with burns, crush injuries, respiratory problems and other life-threatening wounds, forcing many nurses to quickly adapt from patient-focused care to population-focused care.

“I think it invoked a more sense of urgency for more training. It taught us that we must always be diligent and prepared. Our nurses can be called up at any time,” Denker said.

The attacks highlighted the critical role nurses play during large-scale emergencies and exposed gaps in disaster preparedness. For many nurses, 9/11 became a turning point, reinforcing the need for ongoing training, coordinated emergency response efforts and the ability to care for entire communities during times of crisis.

Many things changed after the attacks. Air travel changed. The Department of Homeland Security was created. And healthcare professionals had to rethink how they prepared for and responded to crisis situations.

Instead of disaster preparedness being viewed as a specialized area of practice, Ortelli said it has become a foundational part of nursing education.

“Before 9/11, no one really took into consideration that there were hazards people could come into the hospital with that you couldn’t see,” Ortelli said. “There are hazards in the air, hazards in the water, just things you can’t see that affect people.”

The effects of those invisible dangers can still be seen today. Many first responders, nurses and others who spent time at Ground Zero developed asthma, chronic respiratory illnesses and other health conditions that continue to affect them decades later.

“It wasn’t just the diesel fuel. It was the dust from the materials that built the towers. It was some of the chemicals used to put out fires,” Denker said. “There were a lot of different things people could have been exposed to. I think people are more cautious these days.”

The lessons learned extended beyond physical health.

Just as no one could see the damage done to victims’ lungs, many also couldn’t see the emotional trauma developing in those who witnessed the events firsthand. In the years since, nursing educators, including those at Galen College of Nursing, have placed a greater emphasis on mental health and compassionate care, teaching future nurses the importance of supporting both patients and themselves during and after disasters.

“Everybody in the world was affected in some way, shape or form,” Denker said. “Whether you were one of the people who got out and turned around and watched the towers fall, or you were sitting at home watching on TV, people were affected mentally. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else, and I think there’s more of an emphasis on that now.”

Nursing changed after 9/11. It changed again following Hurricane Katrina. It adapted once more during the COVID-19 pandemic. And it will continue to evolve as new challenges, disasters and technologies emerge.

“I think that’s how we learn,” Ortelli said. “From every event that happens, no matter how big or small, it helps us think about the next one. Every event helps us become better and carry forward the lessons we’ve learned. Healthcare is such a rapidly changing field that you never know what’s around the corner.”

For nurses, that commitment to learning and adapting remains one of the profession’s greatest strengths. While the events of 9/11 changed healthcare forever, they also reinforced a lesson that continues to guide the profession today:

“We need to always be mindful that there are some fragile moments that have happened in our history, some things are more fragile than we all think. We need to bear that in mind as we go about these big milestones,” Ortelli said. “Every day, you just never know. It’s always a good reminder that we should never take anything for granted. We need to give each other grace and be kind. You don’t know what anybody’s really been through in their past or what’s around the corner for any of us.”