My nephew had a sore on his finger she said she took him to the doctor and she said the doctor told her it was herpes is this possible?

Possibly: Herpetic whitlow is infection of the finger or thumb because of contact to infected mucosa, either self or someone else who was infected with hsv. It heals spontaneously in two or three weeks.

Whitlow: A herpetic whitlow is a lesion (whitlow) on a finger or thumb caused by the herpes simplex virus. It is a painful infection that typically affects the fingers or thumbs. Occasionally infection occurs on the toes or on the nail cuticle. Herpes whitlow can be caused by infection by hsv-1 or hsv-2.Hsv-1 whitlow is often contracted by health care workers that come in contact with the virus.